Images of Sirius

Sirius

Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. It is at a distance of 9.5 light years from the Earth. It is also known as the Dog Star because it lies in the constellation of Canis Major, the Greater Dog. Sirius is actually a binary star and it is made of two stars that orbit around each other. Only the brighter of the two can be seen with the naked eye. Sirius was important in ancient Egypt before the calendars were developed. The appearance of Sirius coincided with the annual flooding of river Nile.

Images of Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri is the closest known star in the Solar System and is about 10,000 times dimmer than the Sun. It is about 4.3 light years away and is visible with binoculars. It is the faintest member of a triple star system called Alpha Centauri present in the constellation of Centaurus. The other two stars form a brilliant double star when viewed through a small astronomical telescope. They are each about as bright as the Sun and take 80 years to orbit each other. The Proxima Centauri flares up every now and then and appears brighter than normal for just a few minutes. It takes about a million years to orbit the bright stars.

Images of Horsehead Nebula