▁the ▁sword , ▁first ). ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁given ▁the ▁Fl am ste ed ▁design ation ▁ 4 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 6 , ▁Christian ▁May er ▁described ▁ σ ▁Ori ▁as ▁a ▁triple ▁star , ▁having ▁seen ▁components ▁AB ▁and ▁E , ▁and ▁sus pected ▁another ▁between ▁the ▁two . ▁ ▁Component ▁D ▁was ▁confirmed ▁by ▁F G W ▁Str uve ▁who ▁also ▁added ▁a ▁fourth ▁( C ), ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁Sher bur ne ▁Wes ley ▁Burn ham ▁reported ▁that ▁ σ ▁Ori ▁A ▁was ▁itself ▁a ▁very ▁close ▁double , ▁although ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁later ▁obser vers ▁failed ▁to ▁confirm ▁it . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁the ▁orbit ▁of ▁ σ ▁Ori ▁A / B ▁was ▁solved ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁massive ▁bin aries ▁known . ▁▁ σ ▁Ori ▁A ▁was ▁discovered ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁variable ▁radial ▁velocity ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁considered ▁to ▁indicate ▁a ▁single - lined ▁spect ro scop ic ▁binary . ▁ ▁The ▁spectral ▁lines ▁of ▁the ▁secondary ▁were ▁el us ive ▁and ▁often ▁not ▁seen ▁at ▁all , ▁possibly ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁bro aden ed ▁by ▁rapid ▁rotation . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁confusion ▁over ▁whether ▁the ▁reported ▁spect ro scop ic ▁binary ▁status ▁actually ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁known ▁visual ▁companion ▁B . ▁ ▁Finally ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁it