The three bright stars Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka are known collectively as what?

Orion's Belt is a line of 3 stars in the constellation Orion. They are known by the Ancient Arabic names Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. All three names derive from the Arabic word 'Al-nizam', meaning 'string of pearls'. Alnitak is approximately 1,260 light-years from Earth and is an estimated 28 times bigger than the Sun. Alnilam is a supergiant, around 2,000 light-years from Earth and is the 29th-brightest star in the sky. Mintaka is 1,200 light-years away and is 90,000 times more luminous than the Sun.

In folklore, different names have been assigned to Orion's Belt, including Jacob's Rod, Peter's Staff, the Ellwand, Our Lady's Wand, the Three Magi, and the Three Marys. Whatever their name, they have appeared in literature across the globe, including classic Chinese poetry, Finnish mythology, and the Bible. In the Book of Job in the Old Testament, God asks the titular character, "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s belt? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs?" (Job 38:31) The passage refers to several constellations, including Ursa Major (the Great Bear) and Orion (the Hunter).

Orion is one of the largest constellations in the sky and supposedly looks like the warrior Orion from Greek mythology. The constellation has an hourglass shape with Orion's Belt in the centre.