Sirius, the Dog Star

Sirius is the brightest star in the night time sky, it is located in the constellation Canis Major. Its name comes from the Latin sīrius, from Greek σείριος. It is often nicknamed the "Dog Star".

Sirius can be seen from every inhabited region of the Earth's surface and, in the Northern Hemisphere, is known as a vertex of the Winter Triangle.

At a distance of 8.57 light years, Sirius is also one of the nearest stars to Earth.

The best time of year to view it is around January 1, when it reaches the meridian at midnight.