✧ Canis Major Canis Major is an asterism in Canis Major. ⢠· ⣰⠋⡇ ·⣅⢸⠁ ⠈·⠤⠤⢤●⠤⣄⣀ ⢀⡞ ⠈⠉⠓• ⢠⠏ ⣰⠋ ⣰⠃ ·⠁ ⢠⠇ ⣠•⣄ ⣠⠞⠁ ⠈⠙•⠤⢤⣀⣀⡀ •⠁ ⠉⠉⠙⠒⠒· Type Asterism Constellation Canis Major Stars 10 More information about Canis Major Canis Major is the greater dog, and Sirius is so much brighter than everything around it that the rest of the figure barely registers, but there is a dog there, with a triangle of stars for the hindquarters and Mirzam standing in front of it. In ancient Egypt, Sirius disappeared into the Sun's glare for about seventy days each year, and the morning it first rose again just before dawn arrived within days of the Nile beginning to flood, so the two events were read together. The Romans called the hot weeks that followed the dog days, which is a phrase we still use. Four degrees below Sirius is M41, a loose group of a hundred or so stars that were born together and are still travelling together, and it is just visible to the naked eye from a dark place. Etymology From Latin Reading Canis Maior Literally the greater dog The evolution of Canis Major over time -50,000 years ● Sirius ⣷⠱⡄ ⢏⡆⠈⢦ ⢸⢱ ⠱⡄ ⢸⠈⡆ ⠈⢢⡀ ⠈⡆⢱ ⠑⣄ ⡇⢨· ⠈⢢⡀ ⣇⢸⢳ ⠑⣄ ⢸⢸⠈⡇ ⠈⢢⡀ ⢸·⠢⣽ ⠑⣄ ⠘⡆ · ⠈⢢ ⡇ Muliphein • Mirzam ⢇ ⢸ ⢸· Wezen ⢠⠃ ⢀⠴•⡄ ⢠⠔⠉ ⠈⠢⣀ Adhara Aludra •⠁ •⠉⠉⠙⠒⠒⠒⠤⠤⠤⣀⣀ · Furud now · ⢀⠜⡇ ⣠⠋ ⡇ Muliphein ·⠓⢤⣇⣀⣠⡤⣀⣀ ·⢀⡼● ⠉⠉⠒⠒⠤• Mirzam ⢀⠞ Sirius ⢀⠎ ⣠⠃ ⡰· Wezen ⣰⠁ ⣠⠔•⢄ ⡠⠞ ⠈⠓⣄⣀⣀ Aludra • • ⠉⠉⠉⠓⠒⠒⠢⠤⠤ Adhara · Furud +50,000 years ⣀ ⡠⢪· ⢀⠔⠋⢠⠏ Muliphein ·⠦⣀⠏ ·⢢ ⢠ Mirzam ⢳⡀ •⡄ ⠱⡀ ⡇ ⠘⣄ ⢹ ·⣄ ⠘⢆ ⠘⡄ Wezen ⡰⠃ ⠓⢄ ⠈⢢ ⡇ ⢀⠔•⡀ ⠑⢆ ⠳⡀ ⢸ ⣠⠜⠁ ⠈⠢⣀⡀ ⠑⢤ ⠑⡄ ⠈⡆ Aludra • •⠈⠉⠉⠉⠓⠛⢲⡢⠤⠼⣆ ⢇ Adhara ⠈⠢⡀·⢆ ⢸ ⠈⠲⣀⢣⡀⡇ Furud ⠈⠱⢷⣳ ⠈⠙● Sirius Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 1%, and the furthest any of its stars travels is 20.9 degrees. Furud, Sirius, Adhara and Muliphein drift the opposite way to the other 6, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving. curl 'skymap.sh/Canis%20Major/evolution.gif' where it is tonight: skymap.sh/Canis Major