Modern astronomy has divided all heavenlySphere on certain sites, calling them constellations. Each such site contains tens, and sometimes hundreds of stars. In the old days they were simplified by assigning different shapes to each constellation. Connecting the stars with lines, the ancients obtained drawings that vaguely resemble earthly creatures. This is how the constellations of Peacock, Crane, Golden Fish and others appeared. Currently, there are 47 constellations in the Northern Hemisphere, and 41 in the Southern Hemisphere. It is believed that the brightest star in the northern sky is in the constellation Canis Major (Latin Canis Major).
Combining all the lines in this constellation betweenstars, we get a picture, something resembling a dog. It has a total of 148 stars. We see only 80 of them, and the most visible of them is Sirius. This bright star in the sky radiates a bluish glow, so it's hard not to notice it. It is worth noting that it is Sirius who is considered the leader in brightness, not only in the constellation itself, but also in the vastness of the entire night sky above the Earth. Therefore, for thousands of years, people have been paying special attention to it.
It can be seen both in the Northern and in the southern hemispheres of ours.the planets. This is because it is very close to our solar system. Closer to Sirius, only Alpha Centauri, Wolf 359, the star of Bernard and the red dwarf Lalande.
Between the Sun and Sirius, a distance of 8.64 lightof the year. In comparison with the location of other stars of the Milky Way, this distance is considered negligible. If you do not take into account the largest planets of our system, this bright star in the sky is best seen.
Until about the middle of the nineteenth centuryit was believed that this Sirius was alone in the sky, until in 1844 a theory was put forward that a large body, invisible to the human eye, was located next to it. This fact was suggested by the astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel from Germany. He built this hypothesis on the principle of the motion of a celestial body and the trajectory of its deviation.
In his opinion, this invisible body is shared withSirius rotates in one type, and he calculated that one rotation occurs in fifty years. But his theory was rejected by other respected astronomers based on the lack of practical evidence. Frederick could not prove his case right up to his death, and after sixteen years in America, the creator of the telescope Alwan Graham Clark saw another celestial body next to this bright star in the sky. Thanks to this, Sirius began to be observed, and soon the theory of the German astronomer was confirmed.
After a short time, astronomers managedunderstand why Sirius is moving along such a trajectory. It's all about the star, which is nearby - the scientists gave it the name Sirius V. Its status is a white dwarf in which thermonuclear reactions do not occur. It is also interesting that the mass of this celestial body is equal to the mass of the Sun, while its size is much smaller. That is why Sirius B attracts other stars, causing them to rotate along a certain trajectory. Its influence extends to the brightest star in the sky - Sirius A.
Sirius B was the first white dwarf to havesuch a gigantic mass. Scientists have determined that these stars are about three hundred million years old. There is a theory that when Sirius was in its infancy, it consisted of two objects, one of which exceeded in mass our light by five times, the other - in two. The first star burned, becoming Sirius B visible to us with a reduced diameter and a large mass. Sirius A has retained its properties, so people can admire its radiance is not the first millennium.
In ancient times, different thinkers alsothey observed Sirius, but in their observations there is a very strange pattern: they all noticed that a bright star in the sky in the south radiates a red glow. A bright red star was called by the Roman philosopher and notable citizen Lucius Annei Seneca. Claudius Ptolemy observed the same glow in the fourth century BC.
But official science completely disagrees withsuch a statement. They believe that in such a short period of time no major changes with Sirius could occur. According to modern scholars, people of that time just wanted to embellish what they saw, adding to the description of vivid epithets. In addition, if you watch him in the evening and morning, then you can see that Sirius flickers - it is this twinkling that distorts his true light.
To understand the meaning of the beliefs and cults createdbased on the worship of this star, it is necessary to take into account not only that it is visible from all parts of the Earth for many centuries, but also to which constellation does the star Sirius belong. For example, the Sumerians called him the Arrow, in their religion it was believed that the god Ninurta sent this arrow. But the Egyptians believed that this star personifies the goddess Sopette.
Egyptian began to watch this starastronomers. By the way, with her help, they determined exactly when the Nil would be spread. They believed that this was due to the tears of the goddess Isis, who mourned her husband, the god of agriculture Osiris. Also in ancient Egypt, the year was counted not by the Sun, but by Sirius.
But in Greek mythology, the word "Sirius" hasdirect translation - "bright." The Greeks believed that the brightest star in the sky in January was the Big Dog of Orion. The Greeks also believed that this dog was following the Pleiades, which Osiris was after, and was chasing the Hare.
In Latin, this star was called Vacation, which intranslation means "little dog". Those moments when Sirius was most visible were considered the days of this star. These days it was impossible to do anything, and it was difficult to do, because they were the hottest of the year.
At the same time, the indigenous people of New Zealand revered the star Sirius as the embodiment of the deity Rehua living in the highest sky.
The most mysterious worship of Sirius at thisthe moment is considered serving this star by the Dogon tribe. Despite the fact that modern science recently discovered Sirius V, it was known to the inhabitants of this tribe from very ancient times. And this is taking into account the fact that the structure of life and the level of knowledge of the Dogon is still at the primitive level.
The brightest star in the sky is Sirius.It can be seen both from the southern hemisphere and from the northern. They observed this star for a very long time, and finally found out which constellation the star Sirius belongs to - it is called the Great Dog constellation. It is believed that this star is the second most important for the Earth after the Sun. Until now, many of the information and legends associated with Sirius, are considered a mystery to modern science. That is why many people are interested in what this star represents, which is so close to us.
