Starwatch
The winter sky in the Northern Hemisphere is filled with joys. This week, look for the brightest star in the night sky and from there explore that star’s parent constellation Canis Major, the larger dog.
The star in question is Sirius. Located just 8.6 light-years away, it contains about twice the mass of the Sun and shines more than 25 times brighter. The map shows the view from London on December 29 at midnight to the south. Sirius will be unmistakable. Chances are it will twinkle wildly as the bright light is refracted by the layers of our atmosphere.
Canis Major is Orion’s largest hunting dog pair. Canis Minor, the little dog, is higher in the air. It is marked by the bright star Procyon, which is 1.5 times the mass of the Sun and nearly seven times brighter. Canis Major is easier to see from the southern hemisphere. From Sydney, Australia, it will appear high in the northeastern sky this week.