discovered in 1998. A fourth star, 9th-magnitude Alnitak C, has not been confirmed to be part of the Aa–Ab–B group, and may simply lie along the line of sight. The Alnitak system is bathed in the nebulosity of IC 434. Etymology and cultural significance ζ Orionis (Latinised as Zeta Orionis) is the star system's Bayer designation and 50 Orionis its Flamsteed designation. The traditional name Alnitak, alternately spelled Al Nitak or Alnitah, is taken from the Arabic النطاق an-niṭāq, "the girdle". In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included Alnitak for the star ζ Orionis Aa. It is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names. Orion's Belt The three belt stars were collectively known by many names in many cultures. Arabic terms include النجاد Al Nijād 'the Belt', النسك Al Nasak 'the Line', العلقات Al Alkāt 'the Golden Grains or Nuts' and, in modern Arabic, ميزان الحق Al Mīzān al Ḥaqq 'the Scale of Justice'. In Chinese mythology they were known as The Weighing Beam. The belt was also the Three Stars mansion (), one of the twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the western mansions of the White Tiger. In Chinese, (), meaning Three Stars (asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka (Orion's Belt), with Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Saiph and Rigel later added. Consequently, the Chinese name for Alnitak is (, ). It is one of the western mansions of the White Tiger. Namesakes The USS Alnitah was a U.S. Navy Crater-class cargo ship named after the star. See also Flame Nebula References External links O-type supergiants B-type giants Triple star systems Orion (constellation) Orionis, Zeta 1948 9 BD-02 1338 Orionis, 50 037742 026727 Orionis, 126 Stars named from the Arabic language