Alpha Orionis, the ninth-brightest star in the sky, better known to us as Betelgeuse (commonly pronounced like "beetle juice"). An enormous runaway red supergiant, and the leading star of the constellation Orion (though Beta Orionis, Rigel, is actually brighter), I chose to depict him as a leonine chimera with multiple curving ram horns. By far the largest of batch one (bigger even than fellow-supergiant Polaris), he is the third vertex of the Winter triangle, along with Sirius and Procyon.

Betelgeuse is an orange-red supergiant with a spectral type of M2Iab, and is expected to explode into a type II supernova within the next million years.

Oil paints and copper leaf on 12"x16" gessobord. Sixth and final in a batch of 6 Astral Chimera. Went to the FC art show but was not purchased. Will be going to the AC art show next, unless someone CANNOT WAIT in which case they are perfectly welcome to send me a note and we can talk pricing options.