The constellation Canis Major, and especially its main star, Sirius, is known to people from ancient times. This is not surprising, given that Sirius is a real "lamp" of the sky: its visible brightness is second only to the Sun, Moon and three other planets of the solar system - Mars, Venus and Jupiter. In addition, the star Sirius is visible in the sky from almost anywhere in the world, which made the constellation and star generally known.
According to scientific evidence, Sirius is the alpha of the constellation Canis Major. The distance from our system is “only” 8.6 light years, which makes it one of the closest to us. Interestingly, the Sirius star is double or even triple (although the existence of the third component has not yet been proven). Accordingly, the bright element is Sirius A (alpha), and the second component is the white dwarf Sirius B. Full rotation occurs around a common center for 50 years. Initially, the mass of Sirius A was equal to 2 masses of the Sun, but Sirius B was more massive, amounting to almost 5 solar masses. Subsequently, the latter collapsed to the state of a white dwarf (high density of matter, relatively low temperature and diameter).
The star Sirius B was discovered in 1862 by indirect observation: distortions in the motion of the second component (alpha) caused by the attraction of a massive dark satellite were recorded. The performed calculations made it possible to detect it directly. Sirius has existed for at least 200 million years. All star parameters can be found in the relevant literature.
Why is the constellation so interesting? Sirius is mentioned in many cultures, separated by centuries. Even the ancient Dogon knew about the star. For example, there are well-known lines from the Bible in which the sorcerers who appeared to Jesus who was born say that they were brought by a bright star in the east. Also, many people who practice channeling claim that the Canis Alpha system is inhabitable, with highly developed creatures living there trying to help humanity.
Sirius gained special fame thanks to the research of the Egyptian pyramids. Some mines are focused strictly on a star, in addition, there are many assumptions according to which the pyramids themselves were built by aliens. Like it or not, time will tell, however, it is known for certain that Sirius played an important role in the life of ancient Egypt. So, at the beginning of the season, his morning appearance in the sky coincided with the flood of the Nile River. Although the star was deified because of this, there was really nothing incredible. The beginning of summer caused violent melting of mountain snow in Ethiopia, heavy equatorial rains and, as a result, rising water levels and spilling over the fertile plain. After its descent, it was possible to begin the necessary agricultural work.
Despite the "close" location, Sirius remains poorly understood. Even its large second component was detected indirectly, due to distortions in the trajectory of Sirius A. Accordingly, the observation of the planetary system is out of the question. Therefore, it is not known whether there is life in that system. What is strange, all ancient philosophers (for example, Ptolemy, Seneca) call Sirius a red star, although its glow is bluish. The red color could be explained by the presence of a red giant in the system , since the white dwarf Sirius B really passed this stage. However, it is believed that the stage of the red giant and the dumping of shells was passed 120 million years ago, and philosophers lived at the beginning of our era. The paradox is obvious.
Undoubtedly, Alpha Canis Majorus is fraught with many puzzles to be solved by future generations. In the sky there are not many objects that were revered by ancient cultures, but Sirius is the brightest (in all senses) their representative.