Spot Sirius B: The Best Opportunity in 50 Years! – Astronomicus.ca
Explore the elusive companion to Sirius, the brightest star
Don’t miss this rare chance to witness the Binary system’s A and B stars in Canis Major.
Have you ever tried to observe the companion to this brightest star in our sky, the famous white dwarf Sirius B? The A and B stars of this Binary system in Canis Major 8 light years away from us are now at their widest apparent separation in their 50-year orbit. They are 11 arcseconds apart, and will remain so for the next couple years before they start closing up again.
This time of year is a good time to look for it in the early evening hours.
You’ll want at least an 8-inch telescope (preferably larger). A night of really excellent, steady seeing (keep checking night after night.) The seeing makes all the difference for spotting Sirius B), extreme high power, and your target standing at its highest like it does now after dinnertime.
Canis Major (Big Dog)
Another way Sirius is special: it’s the bottom star of the bright, equilateral Winter Triangle. The other two stars of the Triangle are orange Betelgeuse to Sirius’s upper right (Orion’s shoulder) and Procyon to Sirius’s upper left. The Winter Triangle perfectly balances on Sirius in early evening.
What is Sirius B?
It is the Companion Star to Sirius (A) the brightest star in our sky. Sirius is special: it’s the bottom star of the bright, equilateral Winter Triangle. The other two stars of the Triangle are orange Betelgeuse to Sirius’s upper right (Orion’s shoulder) and Procyon to Sirius’s upper left. The Winter Triangle perfectly balances on Sirius in early evening at this time of Year.
Finding Sirius B
The Star lies right next to its brighter counterpart. To see it you need a large telescope and a high power on a clear night with steady seeing. Use the tips in Bob King’s article Sirius-B – A New Pup in My Life.
Thanks goes out to Sky and Telescope and this article on their Web Site