SIRIUS-The DOG STAR

by Captain Sir Wally

Sirius is over 20 times brighter than our Sun and over twice as massive. Sirius is not the closest star system - the Alpha Centauri system holds this distinction.

Sirius appears blue-white in color. It is the brightest star in our sky after the Sun, and can easily be seen in the winter months in the northern hemisphere. When looking at the constellation Orion - locate Orion's belt which are the three bright stars in a row.

Sirius has been found in the writings and legends of many cultures long before we had the technology to discover it. The Egyptians associated the appearance of the Dog Star with the flooding of the fields and the birth of a new year. Later, the Greeks and Romans associated the Dog Star with Orion, The Hunter, and his two hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor. The Greeks named the constellation Sirius, "the Scorcher" as they believed the Dog Star was responsible for the hot weather and listlessness that plagued them in the summer months. The origin of the phrase 'the dog days of summer' comes from this ancient belief -- the 'dog star' being the root of this common saying!

The association of Sirius with a celestial dog has been consistent throughout the classical world; even in remote China, the star was identified as a heavenly wolf. In ancient Chaldea (present day Iraq) the star was known as the "Dog Star that Leads," or it was called the "Star of the Dog." In Assyria, it was said to be the "Dog of the Sun." In still older Akkadia, it was named the "Dog Star of the Sun."

Sirius has a companion star, which we will call SiriusB, which is invisible to the naked eye. This dwarf companion was first photographed in 1970. Its existence was theorized as early as 1844 but was not visualized until 1862. Sirius B is also known as "The Pup," since it is the companion to the The Dog Star.

The Dogons are a West African tribe who have known about - and worshipped - Sirius A and its Twin the invisible star Sirius B, for the past 5,000 years. They say that approximately 5,000 years ago, Amphibious Gods came to Earth in three legged space ships from the Sirius Star System. They call the aliens Nommos.

Questions

1. Sirius is over how many times brighter than our sun?

2. What is the nickname for Sirius B?

3. What did the Dogon tribe call the aliens they say came to Earth?