Sirius is the largest star visible in our night sky. It is located in the constellation Canis Major, the distance to it is equal to 8, 64 light years, or about 9, 5 trillion km. By its size, Sirius is almost 2.5 times larger than the Sun. You can find this star in the sky by focusing on other known constellations.
Instructions
Step 1
In areas located in the middle zone of our country, this star can be observed in the southern part of the sky. In autumn, it is visible closer to morning, in spring Sirius appears after the sun sets, and in the winter sky - from sunrise to sunset. In winter, the entire constellation of Canis Major is located very low, almost at the very horizon.
Step 2
Despite the fact that Sirius belongs to the stars of the Southern Hemisphere, its declination is small, so you can see it even far to the north, in cities such as Norilsk, Murmansk and Verkhoyansk - up to 74 degrees north latitude. In summer, it rises high enough above the horizon and can be confidently observed even in the sky near Petrozavodsk.
Step 3
In terms of its brightness, Sirius is on a par with such planets as Venus, Mars and Jupiter, all of them are perfectly visible among the rest of the points twinkling in the night sky. After the Sun, Moon and these planets, it ranks sixth in terms of how well it is visible to the naked eye. It is not for nothing that it is believed that the star got its name from the Greek word seirios - "brightly burning".
Step 4
You can quickly find Sirius in the sky using the constellation Orion, which, in turn, can be easily identified by three stars located on one straight line. They are called the "Orion Belt". If we continue mentally this line, on which the stars of Orion's Belt are located to the southeast, then on its continuation you will see a bright star that stands out among others. This is Sirius. In the northwest direction of this thought line is the star Aldebaran. But even without knowing the cardinal points, you will not confuse Sirius with Aldebaran, who shines much weaker.
Step 5
In the event that you are perfectly oriented, imagine how the cardinal directions are located, and know other stars, find Sirius with their help. It is located southwest of the star Procyon 35 degrees north of Canopus or 30 degrees south of Alchena (the third largest star in the constellation Gemini).
