Sirius is the eighteenth star in the Nautical Almanac. Its name means "blazing" in ancient Greek. In Arabic it is called Al Shirah, "The Shining", and Sirius is the brightest star in Earth's night sky. It is popularly known as "the dog star" because it is the chief star of the constellation Canis Majoris, the Great Dog, mythologically one of Orion's hunting dogs.
Sirius is close to Earth, relatively, being only eight and a half light years away. For the next 210,000 years Sirius will move nearer the Earth, increasing its apparent brightness. That, its color, and its own intrinsic luminosity, twenty five times that of the Sun, make it twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. It is a binary star. Sirius A is a main sequence white star twice the size of the Sun and twice as massive, while it's companion, Sirius B, is a white dwarf about the size of Earth but just as massive as the Sun. Sirius A burns at 17,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The system is 250 million years old; Sirius B, originally the hotter and larger companion became a white dwarf about 125 million years ago.
Historically, it is an important star for navigational purposes, horological purposes, and for agricultural purposes, and is often considered a sacred star. It was visible in ancient Egypt for 295 days out of the year, and would reappear every 365.4th day, exactly in congruence with the Earth's revolution around the Sun. Thus, Sirius was crucial to the invention of the calendar, the determination of the seasons, and the planting times.
Moreover, Sirius rose on June 21st, the Summer Solstice and the beginning day of the flood season of the Nile. Sirius was thus deemed the Patron of the Solstice. Its relationship to Summer and its association with heat gave the early part of the Summer season the moniker of "Dog Days." Due to the confluence of the flood season and the rising of Sirius, the star was worshiped as a god in Egypt. Greece and Rome too worshiped Sirius, and the star still is considered a deity in some animist religions. Dogs benefited from their relationship with Sirius as well, as the beneficent star afforded them the appellation of "Man's Best Friend."
Due to its prominence, Sirius is one of the Behenian Stars, a select group of stars that has its own astrological status in natal charts. Sirius is associated with pride, leadership, and fire. Sirius is associated with the gem beryl and the plant juniper, and is considered an extremely fortunate star. It is considered a "Cancerian" star since it rises in the astrological sign of The Crab.
People who are excitable (who become "overheated" as it were) were described by ancient physicians as "star-struck" by the power of Sirius. However, Sirius was also said to confer dependability and steadfast loyalty.
The celestial coordinates of Sirius were used as Earth's Prime Meridian for millennia. The Polynesians regarded Sirius as central to their navigational system, as the star's celestial coordinates place it right over the island of Fiji.
Sirius is the best-known star after Polaris, and appears regularly in science fiction, literature, music, and art. It is also a favored corporate name, lending itself to Sirius XM Radio and "Siri" Artificial Intelligence.
No comments:
Post a Comment