Sirius A / B

The position of Sirius.
Observation data Epoch J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation (pronunciation)	Canis Major
Right ascension	06h 45m 08. In Astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time used as a reference for the Orbital elements of a Celestial body. In Astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time used as a reference for the Orbital elements of a Celestial body. The International Celestial Reference System (ICRS is the current standard celestial reference system adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU In common usage a constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are connected together in some arrangement typically stars to form a visible figure or picture Each culture has its own Constellations usually based on Mythology. Canis Major ( greater Dog) is one of the 88 modern Constellations and was also in Ptolemy 's list of 48 constellations Right ascension (abbrev RA; symbol α) is the Astronomical term for one of the two Coordinates of a point on the Celestial sphere 9173s[1][2]
Declination	−16° 42′ 58. In Astronomy, declination (abbrev dec or δ) is one of the two coordinates of the Equatorial coordinate system, the other being either 017″[1][2]
Apparent magnitude (V)	−1. The apparent magnitude ( m) of a celestial body is a measure of its Brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, normalized to the value 47 (A)[1] / 8. 30 (B)[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type	A1V (A)[1] / DA2 (B)[3]
U-B color index	−0. In Astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of Stars based initially on photospheric temperature and its associated Spectral characteristics A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small Star composed mostly of Electron-degenerate matter. In Astronomy, the color index is a simple numerical expression that determines the color of an object which in the case of a Star gives its Temperature 05 (A)[4] / −1. 04 (B)[3]
B-V color index	0. In Astronomy, the color index is a simple numerical expression that determines the color of an object which in the case of a Star gives its Temperature 01 (A)[1] / −0. 03 (B)[3]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)	−7. Astrometry is the branch of Astronomy that relates to precise measurements and explanations of the positions and movements of Stars and other celestial bodies Radial velocity is the Velocity of an object in the direction of the line of sight (i 6[1] km/s
Proper motion (μ)	RA: −546. The proper motion of a Star is the measurement of its change in position in the sky over time after Improper motions are accounted for 05[1][2] mas/yr Dec. A minute of arc, arcminute, or MOA is a unit of angular measurement, equal to one sixtieth (1/60 of one degree. A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun : −1223. 14[1][2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)	379. A minute of arc, arcminute, or MOA is a unit of angular measurement, equal to one sixtieth (1/60 of one degree. A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun Parallax is an apparent displacement or difference of orientation of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between 21 ± 1. 58[1] mas
Distance	8. A minute of arc, arcminute, or MOA is a unit of angular measurement, equal to one sixtieth (1/60 of one degree. Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are 6 ± 0. 04 ly (2. A light-year or light year (symbol ly) is a unit of Length, equal to just under ten trillion Kilometres As defined by 64 ± 0. 01 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)	1. History The first direct measurements of an object at interstellar distances were undertaken by German Astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel in 1838 In Astronomy, absolute magnitude (also known as absolute visual magnitude) is the Apparent magnitude an object would have if it were at a standard 42 (A)[5] / 11. 18 (B)[3]
Visual binary orbit[6]
Companion	α CMa B
Period (P)	50. A binary star is a Star system consisting of two Stars orbiting around their Center of mass. The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete Orbit about another object 09 yr
Semimajor axis (a)	7. A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun In Geometry, the semi-major axis (also semimajor axis) is used to describe the dimensions of ellipses and hyperbolae 56"
Eccentricity (e)	0. In Astrodynamics, under standard assumptions, any Orbit must be of Conic section shape 592
Inclination (i)	136. Inclination in general is the Angle between a Reference plane and another plane or axis of direction 5°
Longitude of the node (Ω)	44. The longitude of the ascending node (☊ or Ω is one of the Orbital elements used to specify the Orbit of an object in space 6°
Periastron epoch (T)	1894. In Celestial mechanics, an apsis, plural apsides (ˈæpsɨdɪːz is the point of greatest or least distance of the Elliptical orbit of an object from In Astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time used as a reference for the Orbital elements of a Celestial body. 13
Argument of periastron (ω)	147. The argument of periapsis (or argument of perifocus) ( ω) is the Orbital element describing the Angle of an Orbiting body's periapsis 3°
Details
Mass	2. Mass is a fundamental concept in Physics, roughly corresponding to the Intuitive idea of how much Matter there is in an object 02[7] (A) / 0. 978[7] (B) M☉
Radius	1. The solar mass is a standard way to express Mass in Astronomy, used to describe the masses of other Stars and galaxies. Remote Authentication Dial In User Service ( RADIUS) is a networking protocol that provides centralized access authorization and accounting management for people or computers 711[7] (A) / 0. 0084 ± 3%[8] (B) R☉
Surface gravity (log g)	4. In Astronomy, the solar radius is a unit of Length used to express the size of Stars It is equal to the current radius of the Sun. The surface gravity, g, of an astronomical or other object is the Gravitational acceleration experienced at its surface 33[9] (A)/8. 57[8] (B)
Luminosity	25. Luminosity has different meanings in several different fields of science 4[7] (A) / 0. 026[10] (B) L☉
Temperature	9,940[9] (A) / 25,200[7] (B) K
Metallicity	[Fe/H] =0. The solar luminosity, L_\odot is a unit of Luminosity ( power emitted in the form of Photons conventionally used by Astronomers to Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature The kelvin (symbol K) is a unit increment of Temperature and is one of the seven SI base units The Kelvin scale is a thermodynamic In Astronomy and Physical cosmology, the metallicity of an object is the proportion of its matter made up of Chemical elements other than Hydrogen 50[11] (A)
Rotation	16 km/s[12] (A)
Age	2-3 × 108[7] years
Other designations
System: α Canis Majoris, α CMa, 9 Canis Majoris, 9 CMa, HD 48915, HR 2491, BD -16°1591, GCTP 1577. Stellar rotation is the angular motion of a Star about its axis A star is a massive luminous ball of plasma. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the Energy on Earth A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun A star catalogue, or star catalog, is an Astronomical catalogue that lists Stars In Astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue The Henry Draper Catalogue ( HD) is an Astronomical Star catalogue published between 1918 and 1924 giving Spectroscopic classifications The Bright Star Catalogue, also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars or Yale Bright Star Catalogue, is a Star catalogue that lists of all stars of In Astronomy, Durchmusterung or Bonner Durchmusterung ( BD) is the usual name for three comprehensive astrometric Star catalogues A star catalogue, or star catalog, is an Astronomical catalogue that lists Stars In Astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue 00 A/B, GJ 244 A/B, LHS 219, ADS 5423, LTT 2638, HIP 32349. A star catalogue, or star catalog, is an Astronomical catalogue that lists Stars In Astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue A star catalogue, or star catalog, is an Astronomical catalogue that lists Stars In Astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues (Tycho-1 are the primary products of the European Space Agency 's astrometric mission Hipparcos. B: EGGR 49, WD 0642-166. [1][13][14]

Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky with a visual apparent magnitude of −1. Bright stars are bright because they have high luminosities and/or they are nearby The apparent magnitude ( m) of a celestial body is a measure of its Brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, normalized to the value 47, almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. Pronounced /ˈsɪɹiəs/,^[15] the name Sirius is derived from the Ancient Greek Σείριος. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c ^[16] The star has the Bayer designation α Canis Majoris (α CMa, or Alpha Canis Majoris). A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek letter, followed by the genitive form of its parent constellation's Alpha (uppercase Α, lowercase α; Αλφα is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. What the naked eye perceives as a single star is actually a binary star system, consisting of a white main sequence star of spectral type A1V, termed Sirius A, and a faint white dwarf companion of spectral type DA2, termed Sirius B. A binary star is a Star system consisting of two Stars orbiting around their Center of mass. The main sequence is the name for a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appear on a plot of stellar color versus brightness In Astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of Stars based initially on photospheric temperature and its associated Spectral characteristics A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small Star composed mostly of Electron-degenerate matter.

Sirius is bright due to both its intrinsic luminosity and its closeness to the Sun. Luminosity has different meanings in several different fields of science The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. At a distance of 2. 6 parsecs (8. History The first direct measurements of an object at interstellar distances were undertaken by German Astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel in 1838 6 light-years), the Sirius system is one of our near neighbours. A light-year or light year (symbol ly) is a unit of Length, equal to just under ten trillion Kilometres As defined by This list of stars nearest to the Earth is ordered by increasing distance out to a maximum of 5 Parsecs (16 Sirius A is about twice as massive as the Sun and has an absolute visual magnitude of 1. 42. It is 25 times more luminous than the Sun^[7] but has a significantly lower luminosity than other bright stars such as Canopus or Rigel. Rigel (ˈraɪʤəl (β Ori / β Orionis / Beta Orionis is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the sky with Visual The system is between 200 and 300 million years old. ^[7] It was originally composed of two bright bluish stars. The more massive of these, Sirius B, consumed its resources and became a red giant before shedding its outer layers and collapsing into its current state as a white dwarf around 120 million years ago. A red giant is a luminous Giant star of low or intermediate mass (roughly 0 A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small Star composed mostly of Electron-degenerate matter. ^[7]

Sirius is also known colloquially as the "Dog Star", reflecting its prominence in its constellation, Canis Major (English: Big Dog). In common usage a constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are connected together in some arrangement typically stars to form a visible figure or picture Canis Major ( greater Dog) is one of the 88 modern Constellations and was also in Ptolemy 's list of 48 constellations English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States ^[17] It is the subject of more mythological and folkloric tales than any other star apart from the sun. The heliacal rising of Sirius marked the flooding of the Nile in Ancient Egypt and the 'Dog Days' of summer for the Ancient Greeks, while to the Polynesians it marked winter and was an important star for navigation around the Pacific Ocean. The heliacal rising of a Star (or other body such as the Moon, a Planet or a Constellation) occurs when it first becomes visible above the eastern Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now

Observational history

Sirius is recorded in the earliest astronomical records, known in Ancient Egypt as Sopdet (Greek: Sothis). Hieroglyph ( Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " or hieroglyphics ( = grc-Grek τὰ ἱερογλυφικά Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Sothis ( Greek Σώθις is the name of a star that the Egyptians considered unusually significant During the era of the Middle Kingdom, Egyptians based their calendar on the heliacal rising of Sirius, namely the day it becomes visible just before sunrise after moving far enough away from the glare of the sun. The Middle Kingdom is the period in the history of Ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth Dynasty The ancient civil Egyptian calendar had a year that was 365 days long and was divided into 12 months of 30 days each plus 5 extra days (epagomenes Greek ἐπαγόμεναι The heliacal rising of a Star (or other body such as the Moon, a Planet or a Constellation) occurs when it first becomes visible above the eastern This occurred just before the annual flooding of the Nile and the summer solstice,^[18] after a 70 day absence from the skies. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River Solstices occur twice a year when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most oriented toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to reach its northernmost and southernmost extremes ^[19] The hieroglyph for Sothis features a star and a triangle. Sothis was identified with the great goddess Isis who formed a part of a trinity with her husband Osiris and their son Horus, while the 70 day period symbolised the passing of Isis and Osiris through the duat (Egyptian underworld). Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and is celebrated in their mythology as the ideal mother and wife patron of nature and magic friend of slaves sinners Osiris ( Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Ausir In Egyptian mythology, Duat (or Tuat (also called Akert, Amenthes, or Neter-khertet) is the Underworld. ^[19]

The Ancient Greeks believed that the appearance of Sirius heralded the hot and dry summer, and feared its effects on making plants wilt, men weaken and women become aroused. ^[20] Due to its brightness, Sirius would have been noted to twinkle more in the unsettled weather conditions of early summer. To Greek observers, this signified certain emanations which caused its malign influence. People suffering its effects were said to be astroboletos/αστροβολητος or 'star-struck'. It was described as 'burning' or 'flaming' in literature. ^[21] The season following the star's appearance came to be known as the Dog Days of summer. The phrase Dog Days or " the dog days of summer " refers to the hottest most sultry days of summer ^[22] The inhabitants of the island of Ceos in the Aegean Sea would offer sacrifices to Sirius and Zeus to bring cooling breezes, and would await the reappearance of the star in summer. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology If it rose clear, it would portend good fortune; if it was misty or faint then it foretold (or emanated) pestilence. Coins retrieved from the island from the third century BC feature dogs or stars with emanating rays, highlighting Sirius' importance. ^[23] The Romans celebrated the heliacal setting of Sirius around April 25, sacrificing a dog, along with incense, wine, and a sheep, to the goddess Robigo so that the star's emanations would not cause wheat rust on wheat crops that year. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. In Roman mythology, Robigo or Robiga was probably the female version of Robigus, the god who protected crops from disease Rusts are Fungi of the order Uredinales. Many of these species are plant Parasites. ^[24]

Ptolemy of Alexandria mapped the stars in Book VII and VIII of his Almagest, in which he used Sirius as the location for the globe's central meridian. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca Almagest is the Latin form of the Arabic name ( الكتاب المجسطي, al-kitabu-l-mijisti, i He curiously depicted it as one of six red-coloured stars (see the Red controversy section below). Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky with a visual Apparent magnitude of &minus1 The other five are, in fact, class M and K stars, such as Arcturus and Betelgeuse. |- bgcolor="#FFFAFA"| note (category variability || H and K emission vary Betelgeuse (ˈbiːtəldʒuːz or /ˈbɛtəldʒuːz/ ( α Ori α Orionis Alpha Orionis is a Semiregular variable star located 640 Light-years away from ^[25][26]

Bright stars were important to the ancient Polynesians for navigation between the many islands and atolls of the Pacific Ocean. Polynesian culture refers to the aboriginal Culture of the Polynesian -speaking peoples of Polynesia and the Low on the horizon, they acted as stellar compasses to assist mariners in charting courses to particular destinations. They also served as latitude markers; the declination of Sirius matches the latitude of the island of Fiji at 17°S and thus passes directly over the island each night. Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य ^[27] Sirius served as the body of a 'Great Bird' constellation called Manu, with Canopus as the southern wingtip and Procyon the northern wingtip, which divided the Polynesian night sky into two hemispheres. ^[28] Just as the appearance of Sirius in the morning sky marked summer in Greece, so it marked the chilly onset of winter for the Māori, whose name Takurua described both the star and the season. This article discusses the Māori people of New Zealand For their language see Māori language, and for other meanings see Māori (disambiguation. Its culmination at the winter solstice was marked by celebration in Hawaii, where it was known as Ka'ulua 'Queen of Heaven'. The winter solstice occurs at the instant when the Sun 's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Many other Polynesian names have been recorded, including Tau-ua in the Marquesas Islands, Rehua in New Zealand, and Aa and Hoku-Kauopae in Hawaii. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island ^[29]

Kinematics

In 1676, Edmond Halley spent a year on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic surveying the southern stars. Edmond Halley FRS (ˈɛdmənd ˈhɔːlɪ ( November 8, 1656 &ndash January 14, 1742) was an English Astronomer Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory Some 40 years later in 1718 he discovered the proper motion of the hitherto presumed "fixed" stars after comparing his astrometric measurements with those given in Ptolemy's Almagest. The proper motion of a Star is the measurement of its change in position in the sky over time after Improper motions are accounted for Astrometry is the branch of Astronomy that relates to precise measurements and explanations of the positions and movements of Stars and other celestial bodies Arcturus and Sirius were two noted to have moved significantly, the latter having progressed 30 arc minutes (about the diameter of the moon) southwards in 1800 years. A minute of arc, arcminute, or MOA is a unit of angular measurement, equal to one sixtieth (1/60 of one degree. ^[30]

In 1868, Sirius became the first star to have it's velocity measured. Sir William Huggins examined the spectrum of this star and observed a noticeable red shift. Sir William Huggins, OM, FRS ( February 7 1824 &ndash May 12 1910) was an English Astronomer In Physics and Astronomy, redshift occurs when Electromagnetic radiation – usually Visible light – emitted or reflected by He concluded that Sirius was receding from the Solar System at about 40 km/s. ^[31][32] Compared to the modern value of −7. 6,^[1] this is an overestimate, but it is notable for introducing the study of celestial radial velocities. Radial velocity is the Velocity of an object in the direction of the line of sight (i

Discovery of a companion

A simulated image of Sirius A and B from Celestia

In 1844, German astronomer Friedrich Bessel deduced from changes in the proper motion of Sirius that it had an unseen companion. Celestia is a 3-D Astronomy program created by Chris Laurel The program is based on the Hipparcos Catalogue (HIP and allows users to travel through an extensive Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (22 July 1784 &ndash 17 March 1846 was a German Mathematician, Astronomer, and systematizer of the Bessel functions ^[33] Nearly two decades later, on January 31, 1862, American telescope-maker and astronomer Alvan Graham Clark first observed the faint companion, which is now called Sirius B, or affectionately "the Pup". Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday Alvan Graham Clark ( July 10, 1832 &ndash June 9, 1897) born in Fall River, Massachusetts, was an American ^[34] The visible star is now sometimes known as Sirius A. Since 1894, some apparent orbital irregularities in the Sirius system have been observed, suggesting a third very small companion star, but this has never been definitely confirmed. The best fit to the data indicates a six-year orbit around Sirius A and a mass of only 0. 06 solar masses. The solar mass is a standard way to express Mass in Astronomy, used to describe the masses of other Stars and galaxies. This star would be five to ten magnitudes fainter than the white dwarf Sirius B, which would account for the difficulty of observing it. ^[35] More recent observations have failed to confirm the existence of a third member of the Sirius system, but still have not completely ruled out the possibility that one exists too close to Sirius to be seen. An apparent "third star" observed in the 1920s seems to have been a background object. ^[36]

In 1915, Walter Sydney Adams, using a 60-inch (1. Walter Sydney Adams ( December 20 1876 &ndash May 11 1956) was an American Astronomer. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 5 meter) reflector at Mount Wilson Observatory, observed the spectrum of Sirius B and determined that it was a faint whitish star. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO is an Astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County California. A spectrum (plural spectra or spectrums) is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. ^[37] This would lead astronomers to conclude that it was a white dwarf, the second to be discovered. A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small Star composed mostly of Electron-degenerate matter. ^[38] The diameter of Sirius A was first measured by Robert Hanbury Brown and Richard Q. Twiss in 1959 at Jodrell Bank using their stellar intensity interferometer. Robert Hanbury Brown AC ( 31 August, 1916 &ndash 16 January, 2002) was a British astronomer and physicist Richard Q Twiss (1920 &ndash 20 May, 2005) is famous for his work on the Hanbury-Brown and Twiss effect with Robert Hanbury Brown. The Jodrell Bank Observatory (originally the Jodrell Bank Experimental Station, then the Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories from 1966 to 1999 is an Observatory An intensity interferometer is the name given to devices that use the Hanbury-Brown and Twiss effect. ^[39] In 2005, using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers determined that Sirius B has nearly the diameter of the Earth, 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles), with a mass that is 98% of the Sun. The Hubble Space Telescope ( HST; also known colloquially as "the Hubble" or just "Hubble" is a space telescope that was carried into EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. ^{[40][41][42][43]}

Red controversy

In 150 AD, the astronomer Ptolemy described Sirius as reddish, along with five other stars, Betelgeuse, Antares, Aldebaran, Arcturus and Pollux, all of which are clearly of orange or red hue. Betelgeuse (ˈbiːtəldʒuːz or /ˈbɛtəldʒuːz/ ( α Ori α Orionis Alpha Orionis is a Semiregular variable star located 640 Light-years away from Antares (α Scorpii / Alpha Scorpii is a Red supergiant Star in the Milky Way Galaxy and the sixteenth brightest star Aldebaran ( α Tau α Tauri Alpha Tauri is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky |- bgcolor="#FFFAFA"| note (category variability || H and K emission vary Pollux, also cataloged as Beta Geminorum (β Gem / β Geminorum is an Orange giant Star approximately 34 Light-years away in the Constellation ^[44] The discrepancy was first noted by amateur astronomer Thomas Barker, squire of Lyndon Hall in Rutland, who prepared a paper and spoke at a meeting of the Royal Society in London in 1760. Thomas Barker (1722 &ndash 29 December 1809) was a Rutland squire who kept a detailed Weather record at Lyndon Hall from 1736 to 1798 Lyndon is a small village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. Rutland is a county of mainland England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by The existence of other stars changing in brightness gave credence to the idea that some may change in colour too; Sir John Herschel noted this in 1839, possibly influenced by witnessing Eta Carinae two years earlier. Sir John Frederick William Herschel 1st Baronet KH, FRS ( March 7, 1792 &ndash May 11, 1871)was an Eta Carinae (η Carinae or η Car is a Hypergiant Luminous blue variable Star in the Carina constellation. ^[45] Thomas Jefferson Jackson See resurrected discussion on red Sirius in 1892 with the publication of several papers in 1892, and a final summary in 1926. Thomas Jefferson Jackson (T J J See, (1866 to July 4 1962 was an American Astronomer (born near Montgomery City, Missouri) who received ^[46] He cited not only Ptolemy but also the poet Aratus, the orator Cicero, and general Germanicus as colouring the star red, though acknowledging that none of the latter three authors were astronomers, the last two merely translating Aratus' poem Phaenomena. This article is about the didactic poet There was also an Aratus of Sicyon and an Aratus son of Asclepius For the crab Genus, see Marcus Tullius Cicero ( Classical Latin ˈkikeroː usually ˈsɪsərəʊ in English January 3, 106 BC &ndash December 7, 43 BC was a Roman Germanicus Julius Caesar ( 24 May 16 BC or 15 BC&ndash October 10, 19) ^[47] Seneca, too, had described Sirius as being of a deeper red colour than Mars. Lucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca, or Seneca the Younger; Σένεκας in Ancient Greek literature (c ^[48] However, not all ancient observers saw Sirius as red. The 1st century AD poet Marcus Manilius described it as "sea-blue", as did the 4th century Avienus. Marcus Manilius (fl 1st century AD was a Roman Poet, Astrologer, and author of a poem in five books called Astronomica. Avienus was a Latin writer of the 4th century His full name Postumius Rufius Festus (qui et Avien(ius is mentioned on an inscription from Bulla Regia ^[49] It is the standard star for the color white in ancient China, and multiple records from the 2nd century BC up to the 7th century AD all describe Sirius as white in hue. ^[50][51]

In 1985, German astronomers Wolfhard Schlosser and Werner Bergmann published an account of an 8th century Lombardic manuscript, which contains De cursu stellarum ratio by St. Lombardy (Lombardia Latin: Langobardia, Western Lombard: Lumbardìa, Eastern Lombard: Lombardia) is one of the Gregory of Tours. Saint Gregory of Tours ( November 30, c 538 &ndash November 17, 594) was a Gallo-Roman historian and bishop of Tours The Latin text taught readers how to determine the times of nighttime prayers from positions of the stars, and Sirius is described within as rubeola 'reddish'. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The authors proposed this was further evidence Sirius B had been a red giant at the time. ^[52] However, other astronomers replied that it was likely St. Gregory had been referring to Arcturus instead. ^[53][54]

The possibility that stellar evolution of either Sirius A or Sirius B could be responsible for this discrepancy has been rejected by astronomers on the grounds that the timescale of thousands of years is too short and that there is no sign of the nebulosity in the system that would be expected had such a change taken place. Stellar evolution is the process by which a Star undergoes a sequence of radical changes during its lifetime ^[55] The interaction by third star, to date undiscovered, has also been proposed as a possibility for a red appearance. ^[56] Alternative explanations are either that the description as red is a poetic metaphor for ill fortune, or that the dramatic scintillations of the star when it was observed rising left the viewer with the impression that it was red. To the naked eye, it often appears to be flashing with red, white and blue hues when near the horizon. ^[55]

Visibility

The image of Sirius A and Sirius B taken by Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope ( HST; also known colloquially as "the Hubble" or just "Hubble" is a space telescope that was carried into The white dwarf can be seen to the lower left. A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small Star composed mostly of Electron-degenerate matter. ^[57] The diffraction spikes and concentric rings are instrumental effects. The point spread function ( PSF) describes the response of an imaging system to a Point source or point object

With an apparent magnitude of −1. The apparent magnitude ( m) of a celestial body is a measure of its Brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, normalized to the value 47, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, almost twice the brightness of the second brightest star, Canopus. ^[58] However, it is not as bright as the Moon, Venus, or Jupiter. The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University Mercury and Mars are also brighter than Sirius at times. ^[59][60] Sirius can be seen from almost every inhabited region of the Earth's surface, with only those living north of 73 degrees unable to see it. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Some of the northernmost settlements in the world are See also Southernmost settlements Extreme points of the world However, it does not rise very high when viewed from some northern cities, reaching only 13° above the horizon from Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River ^[61] Sirius, along with Procyon and Betelgeuse, forms one of the three vertices of the Winter Triangle to observers in the Northern Hemisphere. This article is about the star Procyon is also the mammalian genus to which raccoons belong Betelgeuse (ˈbiːtəldʒuːz or /ˈbɛtəldʒuːz/ ( α Ori α Orionis Alpha Orionis is a Semiregular variable star located 640 Light-years away from In Geometry, a vertex (plural "vertices" is a special kind of point. The Winter Hexagon or Winter Circle/Oval is an asterism appearing to be in the form of a hexagon with vertices at Rigel, Aldebaran Northern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is North of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' ^[62] Sirius can even be observed in daylight with the naked eye under the right conditions. Ideally, the sky should be very clear, with the observer at a high altitude, the star passing overhead, and the sun low down on the horizon. ^[63]

The orbital motion of the Sirius binary system brings the two stars to a minimum angular separation of 3″ and a maximum of 11″. A minute of arc, arcminute, or MOA is a unit of angular measurement, equal to one sixtieth (1/60 of one degree. At the closest approach, it is an observational challenge to distinguish the white dwarf from its more luminous companion, requiring a telescope with at least 300 mm (12 in) aperture and excellent seeing conditions. A telescope is an instrument designed for the observation of remote objects and the collection of Electromagnetic radiation. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. A periastron occurred in 1994^[64] and the pair have since been moving apart, making them easier to split with a telescope. In Celestial mechanics, an apsis, plural apsides (ˈæpsɨdɪːz is the point of greatest or least distance of the Elliptical orbit of an object from ^[65]

At a distance of 2. 6 parsecs or 8. History The first direct measurements of an object at interstellar distances were undertaken by German Astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel in 1838 6 light-years, the Sirius system contains two of the eight nearest stars to the Solar System^[66] and is the fifth closest stellar system to ours. A light-year or light year (symbol ly) is a unit of Length, equal to just under ten trillion Kilometres As defined by This list of stars nearest to the Earth is ordered by increasing distance out to a maximum of 5 Parsecs (16 The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity. ^[66] This proximity is the main reason for its brightness, as with other near stars such as Alpha Centauri and in stark contrast to distant, highly luminous supergiants such as Canopus, Rigel or Betelgeuse. Alpha Centauri (α Centauri / α Cen also known as Rigil Kentaurus, Rigil Kent, or Toliman, is the brightest Star in the southern Constellation Rigel (ˈraɪʤəl (β Ori / β Orionis / Beta Orionis is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the sky with Visual Betelgeuse (ˈbiːtəldʒuːz or /ˈbɛtəldʒuːz/ ( α Ori α Orionis Alpha Orionis is a Semiregular variable star located 640 Light-years away from ^[67] However, it is still around 25 times more luminous than the Sun. ^[7] The closest large neighbouring star to Sirius is Procyon, 1. This article is about the star Procyon is also the mammalian genus to which raccoons belong 61 parsecs or 5. 24 light years away. ^[68] The Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched in 1977 to study the four Jovian planets in the Solar System, is expected to pass within 4. Voyager 2 is an unmanned Interplanetary Spacecraft launched on August 20, 1977. A gas giant (sometimes also known as a Jovian planet after the planet Jupiter, or giant planet) is a large Planet that is not primarily The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity. 3 light years of Sirius in approximately 296,000 years. ^[69]

System

Sirius is a binary star system consisting of two white stars orbiting each other with a separation of about 20 astronomical units^[70] (roughly the distance between the Sun and Uranus) and a period of just over 50 years. The astronomical unit ( AU or au or au or sometimes ua) is a unit of Length based on the distance from the Earth to the The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. The brighter component, termed Sirius A, is a main sequence star of spectral type A1V, with an estimated surface temperature of 9,940 K. The main sequence is the name for a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appear on a plot of stellar color versus brightness In Astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of Stars based initially on photospheric temperature and its associated Spectral characteristics The kelvin (symbol K) is a unit increment of Temperature and is one of the seven SI base units The Kelvin scale is a thermodynamic ^[9] Its companion, Sirius B, is a star that has already evolved off the main sequence and become a white dwarf. The main sequence is the name for a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appear on a plot of stellar color versus brightness A white dwarf, also called a degenerate dwarf, is a small Star composed mostly of Electron-degenerate matter. Currently 10,000 times less luminous in the visual spectrum, Sirius B was once the more massive of the two. ^[71] The age of the system has been estimated at around 230 million years. Early in its lifespan it was thought to have been two bluish white stars orbiting each other in an elliptical orbit every 9. 1 years. ^[71] The system emits a higher than expected level of infrared radiation, as measured by IRAS space-based observatory. Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of The Infrared Astronomical Satellite ( IRAS) was the first-ever space-based Observatory to perform a survey of the entire Sky at Infrared This may be an indication of dust in the system, and is considered somewhat unusual for a binary star. ^[72][68]

Sirius A

An artist's impression of Sirius A and Sirius B. Sirius A is the larger of the two stars.

Sirius A has a mass of around 2. 1 times that of the Sun. The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. ^[73][68] The radius of this star has been measured by an astronomical interferometer, giving an estimated angular diameter of 5. An astronomical interferometer is an array of telescopes or mirror segments acting together to probe structures with higher resolution 936±0. 016 mas. A minute of arc, arcminute, or MOA is a unit of angular measurement, equal to one sixtieth (1/60 of one degree. The projected rotational velocity is a relatively low 16 km/s, which does not produce any significant flattening of its disk. Stellar rotation is the angular motion of a Star about its axis ^[12] This is at marked variance with the similar-sized Vega, which rotates at a much faster 274 km/s and bulges prominently around its equator. Vega (α Lyr / α Lyrae / Alpha Lyrae ( or) is the brightest Star in the Constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night ^[74]

Stellar models suggest that the star formed during the collapsing of a molecular cloud, and that after 10 million years, its internal energy generation was derived entirely from nuclear reactions. See also Solar nebula A molecular cloud, sometimes called a stellar nursery if Star formation is occurring within is a type of Interstellar The core became convective and utilized the CNO cycle for energy generation. The convection zone of a Star is the range of radii in which energy is transported primarily by Convection. The CNO cycle (for Carbon - Nitrogen - Oxygen) or sometimes Bethe-Weizsäcker-cycle, is one of two sets of fusion reactions ^[12] It is predicted that Sirius A will have completely exhausted the store of hydrogen at its core within a billion (10⁹) years of its formation. At this point it will pass through a red giant stage, then settle down to become a white dwarf. A red giant is a luminous Giant star of low or intermediate mass (roughly 0

The spectrum of Sirius A shows deep metallic lines, indicating an enhancement in elements heavier than helium, such as iron. ^[12][68] When compared to the Sun, the proportion of iron in the atmosphere of Sirius A relative to hydrogen is given by ,^[11] which is equivalent to 10^{0. 5}, meaning it has 316% of the proportion of iron in the Sun's atmosphere. The high surface content of metallic elements is unlikely to be true of the entire star. Instead these may be suspended by a thin convection zone at the surface. The convection zone of a Star is the range of radii in which energy is transported primarily by Convection. ^[12]

Sirius B

With a mass nearly equal to the Sun's, Sirius B is one of the more massive white dwarfs known; it is almost double the 0. 5–0. 6 solar mass average. The solar mass is a standard way to express Mass in Astronomy, used to describe the masses of other Stars and galaxies. Yet that same mass is packed into a volume roughly equal to the Earth. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 The current surface temperature is 25,200 K. ^[7] However, since there is no internal source of energy generation, Sirius B will steadily cool as the remaining heat is radiated into space over a period of more than two billion years. ^[75]

A white dwarf forms only after the star has evolved from the main sequence and then passed through a red giant stage. This occurred when Sirius B was less than half its current age, approximately 120 million years ago. The original star had an estimated 5 solar masses^[7] and was a B-type star (roughly B4-5)^[76][77] when it still was on the main sequence. While it passed through the red giant stage, Sirius B may have enriched the metallicity of its companion. In Astronomy and Physical cosmology, the metallicity of an object is the proportion of its matter made up of Chemical elements other than Hydrogen

This star is primarily composed of a carbon-oxygen mixture that was generated by helium fusion in the progenitor star. ^[7] This is overlaid by an envelope of lighter elements, with the materials segregated by mass because of the high surface gravity. ^[78] Hence the outer atmosphere of Sirius B is now almost pure hydrogen—the element with the lowest mass—and no other elements are seen in this star's spectrum. ^[79]

Sirius supercluster

In 1909, Ejnar Hertzsprung was the first to suggest that Sirius was a member of the Ursa Major Moving Group, based on his observations of the system's movements across the sky. Ejnar Hertzsprung ( October 8, 1873, Copenhagen &ndash October 21, 1967, Roskilde) was a Danish chemist The Ursa Major Moving Group, also known as Collinder 285, is the closest Moving group to Earth, that is a set of stars with common velocities in space The Ursa Major Group is a set of 220 stars that share a common motion through space and were once formed as members of an open cluster, which has since become gravitationally unbound. An open cluster is a group of up to a few thousand Stars that were formed from the same Giant molecular cloud, and are still loosely gravitationally ^[80] However, analyses in 2003 and 2005 found Sirius's membership in the group to be questionable; the Ursa Major Group has an estimated age of 500±100 million years, while Sirius, with metallicity similar to the Sun's, has an age that is only half this, making it too young to belong to the group. In Astronomy and Physical cosmology, the metallicity of an object is the proportion of its matter made up of Chemical elements other than Hydrogen The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. ^[7][81][82] Sirius may instead be a member of the proposed Sirius Supercluster, along with other scattered stars such as Beta Aurigae, Alpha Coronae Borealis, Beta Crateris, Beta Eridani and Beta Serpentis. Beta Aurigae (β Aur / β Aurigae traditionally named Menkalinan (also written as Menkarlina is a white subgiant Star approximately 85 Alpha Coronae Borealis (α CrB / α Coronae Borealis is a Binary star in the Constellation Corona Borealis. Beta Crateris (β Crt / β Crateris is a Star in the Constellation Crater. Beta Eridani ( Beta Eri / β Eridani / β Eri) is the second brightest Star in the Constellation of Eridanus Beta Serpentis (β Ser / β Serpentis is a Star system in the Constellation Serpens, in its head (Serpens Caput ^[83] This is one of three large clusters located within 500 light years of the Sun. The other two are the Hyades and the Pleiades, and each of these clusters consists of hundreds of stars. The Hyades ( Greek Ὑάδες also known as Melotte 25 or Collinder 50 or Caldwell 41 is the nearest Open cluster to the The Pleiades (ˈpliːədiːz or /ˈplaɪədiːz/ also known as M 45, the '''Seven Sisters''', Seven Stars, SED, Matariki ^[84]

Etymology and cultural significance

The most commonly used proper name of this star comes from the Latin Sīrius, from the Ancient Greek Σείριος (Seirios, "glowing" or "scorcher"),^[16] although the Greek word itself may have been imported from elsewhere before the Archaic period. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c The archaic period in Greece ( 750 BC 480 BC) is a period of Ancient Greek history ^[85] The name's earliest recorded use dates from the 7th century BC in Hesiod's poetic work Works and Days. Hesiod ( Greek: Hesiodos) was an early Greek Poet and Rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BCE Works and Days (in Ancient Greek / Erga kaí Hemérai, which sometimes goes by the Latin name Opera et Dies, as in the OCT) ^[85] Sirius has over 50 other designations and names attached to it. ^[58] In Arabic it is known as الشعرى (transliteration: al-ši‘rā or al-shira; English: "the leader"),^[86] from which the alternate name Aschere derives. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States In Sanskrit, it is known as Mrgavyadha "deer hunter" or Lubdhaka "hunter". Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical As Mrgavyadha, the star represents Rudra (Shiva)^[87][88]. Rudra ( Sanskrit: रुद्रः is a Rigvedic god of the storm the wind and the hunt Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva In Scandinavia, the star has been known as Lokabrenna ("burning done by Loki", or "Loki's torch"), while the Japanese vernacular name of the star is 青星 (Aoboshi, "blue star"). In the astrology of the Middle Ages, Sirius was a Behenian fixed star,^[89] associated with beryl and juniper. Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems The Behenian fixed stars are a selection of fifteen Stars considered especially useful for magical applications in the Medieval Astrology The Mineral beryl is a Beryllium Aluminium cyclosilicate with the Chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO36 Junipers are Coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Its kabbalistic symbol was listed by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim ( September 14, 1486 – February 18 1535) was a German magician, Occult ^[90]

Many cultures have historically attached special significance to Sirius, particularly in relation to dogs. Indeed, it is often colloquially called the "Dog Star" as the brightest star of Canis Major, the "Great Dog" constellation. The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order Canis Major ( greater Dog) is one of the 88 modern Constellations and was also in Ptolemy 's list of 48 constellations It was also classically depicted as Orion's dog. Orion ( Greek or, Latin Orion) was a giant huntsman of Greek mythology whom Zeus placed among the stars as the constellation The Ancient Greeks also thought that Sirius' emanations could affect dogs adversely, making them behave abnormally in the heat of summer ("Dog Days"). Their excessive panting was thought to place them at risk of desiccation and disease. In extreme cases, a foaming dog may have rabies, which could infect and kill humans who'd been bitten. Rabies (from rabies “madness rage fury” Also known as “ hydrophobia ” is a viral Zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that ^[23] The Romans knew these days as dies caniculares and the star as Canicula ("little dog"). In Chinese astronomy the star is known as the star of the 'celestial wolf' (Chinese and Japanese: 天狼; Korean: 천랑; Chinese romanization: Tiānláng; Japanese romanization: Tenrō; Korean romanization: Cheonlang),^[91] in the Mansion of Jǐng (井宿). Astronomy in China has a very long history Oracle bones from the Shang Dynasty ( 2nd millennium BC) record eclipses and novae is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use The romanization of Japanese or ( is the use of the Latin alphabet to write the Japanese language. Korean romanization is a system for representing the Korean language using the Roman alphabet The Well mansion (井宿 Pinyin: Jǐng Xiù; Japanese chichiri-boshi is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations It is one of Farther afield, many nations among the indigenous peoples of North America also associated Sirius with canines; the Seri and Tohono O'odham of the southwest note the star as a dog that follows mountain sheep, while the Blackfoot called it 'Dog-face'. The Seris are an indigenous group of the Mexican state of Sonora. The Tohono O'odham, also known as the Papago, are a group of aboriginal Americans who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southwest The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi (meaning "original people" c The Cherokee paired Sirius with Antares as a dog-star guardian of either end of the "Path of Souls". The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact The Pawnee of Nebraska had several associations; the Wolf (Skidi) tribe knew it as the 'Wolf Star', while other branches knew it as the 'Coyote Star'. The Pawnee (also Paneassa, Pari, Pariki) are a Native American tribe that historically lived along the Platte, Loup and Further north, the Alaskan Inuit of the Bering Strait called it 'Moon Dog'. Inuit (plural the singular Inuk, means "man" or "person" is a general term for a group of culturally similar Indigenous peoples inhabiting The Bering Strait (Берингов пролив Beringov proliv) is a sea Strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43' ^[92]

Several cultures also associated the star with a bow and arrows. The Ancient Chinese visualized a large bow and arrow across the southern sky, formed by the constellations of Puppis and Canis Major. Puppis (ˈpʌpɪs Poop deck) is a southern Constellation. It is the largest of the three parts into which Argo Navis was split (the other two being Canis Major ( greater Dog) is one of the 88 modern Constellations and was also in Ptolemy 's list of 48 constellations In this, the arrow tip is pointed at the wolf Sirius. A similar association is depicted at the Temple of Hathor in Dendera, where the goddess Satet has drawn her arrow at Hathor (Sirius). Dendera Temple complex, ( Ancient Egyptian: Iunet or Tantere) Dendera ( Arabic: دندرة also spelled Denderah/Dandarah) is a little town in Egypt on the west bank of the Nile, about 5 km south from In Egyptian mythology, Satis (also spelt Satjit, Sates, Satet, and Sati) was the deification of the Floods of the Nile In Egyptian mythology, Hathor (Pronounced Hah-Thor ( Egyptian for house of Horus) was originally a personification of the Milky Way Known as Tir, the star was portrayed as the arrow itself in later Persian culture. ^[93]

Dogon

The Dogon people are a tribal people living in Africa who were reported as having certain traditional astronomical knowledge about Sirius that would normally be considered impossible without the use of telescopes. The Dogon are a group of people living in the central plateau region of Mali, south of the Niger bend near the city of Bandiagara in the Mopti According to Robert Temple's 1976 book The Sirius Mystery, the Dogon knew about the fifty-year orbital period of Sirius, the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, plus a third star accompanying Sirius A and B, to name a few. The Sirius Mystery is a book by Robert K G Temple first published in 1976 The reason for this has been the subject of some controversy and speculation, but according to a 1978 Skeptical Enquirer article it is possibly the result of cultural contamination. The Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American Magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI with the subtitle ^[94] More recently, the contaminators have been identified as the anthropologists themselves. ^[95][96] However, others see this explanation as being too simplistic. ^[97]

Modern legacy

See also: Sirius in fiction

Sirius is frequently a subject used in science fiction and related popular culture. Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris the brightest star in the night sky is frequently mentioned in Science fiction and related Popular culture. Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris the brightest star in the night sky is frequently mentioned in Science fiction and related Popular culture. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — ^[98] It also features on the coat of arms of Macquarie University, and is the name of its alumnae journal. Macquarie University is an Australian public University located in Sydney. ^[99] Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been called HMS Sirius since the 18th century, with the first being the flagship of the First Fleet to Australia in 1788. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Seven Ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Sirius after the brightest star in the nighttime Sky. See HMS ''Sirius'' for other ships of this name Berwick was built by Watsons of Rotherhithe in 1780 for the Baltic trade flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. ^[100] The Royal Australian Navy subsequently named a vessel HMAS Sirius in honor of the flagship. The Royal Australian Navy ( RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Construction and acquisition Delos was built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea. ^[101] American vessels include the USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8) as well as a monoplane model—the Lockheed Sirius, the first of which was flown by Charles Lindbergh. The Lockheed 8 Sirius was single engine Propeller driven Monoplane designed and built by Jack Northrop and Gerard Vultee while they were engineers WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[102] The name was also adopted by Mitsubishi Motors as the Mitsubishi Sirius engine in 1980. is the sixth largest Automaker in Japan and the seventeenth largest in the world by global unit sales The Mitsubishi Sirius or 4G6 engine is the name of one of Mitsubishi Motors ' four series of Straight-4 Automobile engines along with Astron ^[103] The name of the North American satellite radio company CD Radio was changed to Sirius Satellite Radio in November, 1999, being named after "the brightest star in the night sky". A satellite radio or subscription radio (SR is a Digital radio signal that is broadcast by a Communications satellite, which covers a much wider geographical ^[104] J. K. Rowling has used the name Sirius in the Harry Potter series as a name for Harry's godfather. Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965 who writes under the Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J His animagus (the animal form his body takes) is a giant black dog. ^[105] The Sirius Patrol is a Danish special forces unit in Greenland. Slædepatruljen Sirius or informally Siriuspatruljen ( The Sirius patrol) is a Danish unit and Dog sled Patrol Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the

See also

• List of nearest stars
• List of brightest stars

References

External links

• Professor Kaler's webpage on Sirius
• APOD of Sirius B in x-ray
• Discussion on Dogon issue