Sirius (α Canis Majoris) is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. Sirius is 8.6 light-years (ly) away and making it one of the closest stars.
It is also the brightest star in the night sky, almost twice as bright as the second brightest star, Canopus. Of all celestial objects, only the sun, moon, and the planets Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury appear brighter.
Sirius is a double star. Sirius A has an apparent magnitude of −1.46 mag. The brightness of its companion Sirius B is 8.5 mag.
Sirius is part of the winter hexagon.
| Sirius | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canis Major |
| Right ascension | 06h 45m 08.917s |
| Declination | −16° 42′ 58.017″ |
| Apparent magnitude | −1.46 mag |
| Distance | (8.60 ± 0.04) ly |
| Bayer designation | α Canis Majoris |
| Bright Star Catalogue | HR 2491 |
| Hipparcos Catalogue | HIP 32349 |
| SAO Catalogue | SAO 151881 |
