Did You Know?

Handy Measure

Your fist at arm's length covers about 10 degrees of sky.

The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius. Sirius resides in the constellation Canis Major (The Big Dog) and is commonly called the Dog Star. Sirius comes from the Greek word seirius, meaning searing or scorching. It is an appropriate name for a star that is twice as bright as any other star in the skies above Earth.

To find the Dog Star, follow Orion's three belt stars—obvious targets even for casual sky watchers—southeast about 20 degrees. You can't miss it: the brightest star in the sky!