Hubble Space Telescope image of Sirius along with its tiny
white dwarf companion
Click on image for full size (132K JPEG)
NASA, ESA, H. Bond, M. Barstow
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What's in a Name: | Greek for "Scorcher". Also called the "Dog Star". Sirius was not visible in the night sky during the summer months, therefore the Greeks thought that Sirius added its heat to that of the sun, producing the warm summer months. The hottest days are still called "dog days".
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| Claim to Fame: | Brightest star in the sky
(apparent magnitude=-1.5). In a few billion years it should become a giant and
then a white dwarf. Now the surface is enriched in metals. Believe Sirius B (its white dwarf companion) passed material to Sirius A during the process of becoming a white dwarf and caused the enrichment.
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| Type of Star: | White Main Sequence Star (A1 V spectral Class)
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| How Far Away: | 8.7 light years away (2.7 parsecs)
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| How Big: | 1.8 times the Sun's diameter
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| How Bright: | 23 times the Sun's luminosity (Mv=+1.4)
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| Where to View: | In the constellation Canis Major (Star Map).
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| When to View: | January through March
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