Sirius: The Brightest Star in the Night Sky

Sirius is the brightest star visible from Earth, outshining all others in the night sky.
It belongs to the constellation Canis Major, earning it the nickname “The Dog Star.”
Sirius is actually a binary star system, made up of Sirius A and its faint white dwarf companion, Sirius B.
It shines about 25 times brighter than the Sun but is only 8.6 light-years away, making it one of our nearest stellar neighbors.
Ancient Egyptians timed the flooding of the Nile with Sirius’s annual rising.
The star’s name comes from the Greek word Seirios, meaning “glowing” or “scorching.”
Sirius twinkles more colorfully than most stars because of its brightness and Earth’s atmospheric effects.
Sirius B, the white dwarf, is the remnant of a star once five times the Sun’s mass.
The “Dog Days of Summer” phrase originates from the period when Sirius rises with the Sun.
Many ancient cultures revered Sirius as a sacred or guiding star.