Sirius Sirius 281220 | Science

Star list

The winter sky in the northern hemisphere is full of joy. Search for the brightest star in the night sky this week, and then explore the star’s bitch Canis Major (larger dog) from there.

The star in question is Sirius. Only 8.6 light-years away from the sun, it contains approximately twice the mass of the sun and is 25 times brighter. This image shows a view looking south from London at midnight on December 29. Sirius will no doubt. When bright light is refracted through our atmosphere, it may flicker momentarily.

Canis Major is the larger pair of Orion hounds. The small dog Canis Minor is taller in the sky. It is marked by the bright star Procyon, and its mass is 1

.5 times that of the sun and almost 7 times that of the sun. Canis Major can be easily seen from the southern hemisphere. Departing from Sydney, Australia this week, it will appear high in the northeast.