Sirius

Alp

Nearby star

Its story

Sirius blazes a mere 8.6 light-years away: the light reaching tonight's sky left less than a decade ago. Egyptian priests watched for it before dawn, since its heliacal rising heralded the Nile's flood and another year of harvest. It is the brightest star of the terrestrial night —a single white beacon to the naked eye— yet since 1862 we have known it harbours a quiet white-dwarf companion, drowned in the glare of its brilliant partner.

Constellation: Canis Major
Apparent magnitude: -1.44
Distance: 8.6 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 101.287° · Dec -16.716°
Catalogue: HIP 32349 · HD 48915

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