Due its proximity to very impressive neighbors, the open cluster ngc 1981 in Orion has never attracted my attention. The cluster has only 10 or so, sparsely distributed, young bright stars.

The multiple star system, Struve 750, is the northernmost star of the string of three stars, right above the Running Man.

The story goes that Aldebaran, failing to shoot one of the three zebras, was given the boot by the seven sisters. They weren’t impressed that he could not retrieve his arrow in fear of Betelgeuse who was as strong as a lion. So the arrow (which we know as Orion’s sword) is still lying there. Now I know why Betelgeuse would not allow Aldebaran to approach. He was actually guarding his own harem!