William Herschel discovered Rigel to be a visual double star on 1 October 1781, cataloguing it as star 33 in the "second class of double stars" in his Catalogue of Double Stars, usually abbreviated to H II 33, or as H 2 33 in the Washington Double Star Catalogue.

What is the history of Rigel?

The name Rigel derives from an Arabic term meaning “the left leg of the giant,” referring to the figure of Orion.

Who named Rigel?

Rigel received the designation Beta Orionis from the German astronomer Johann Bayer in the early 1600s, who sought to systematize the naming conventions. It's possible Betelgeuse actually was brighter around this time. Nowadays, Rigel outshines Betelgeuse.