What Is The Real Name Of The Brightest Star In The Sky?
The real name of the brightest star in the night sky is Sirius. The star has the Bayer designation α Canis Majoris (α CMa, or Alpha Canis Majoris). What the naked eye perceives as a single star is actually a binary star system, consisting of a white main sequence star of spectral type A1V, termed Sirius A, and a faint white dwarf companion of spectral type DA2, termed Sirius B. Together they are part of the constellation “Canis Major”, or the Big Dog (or Greater Dog). Sirius is also known as the “Dog Star”, reflecting its prominence in its constellation. It is the reason that early July is called the “Dog Days” of summer. Though not visible in summer, the early Greeks could calculate when Sirius would be in the sky along with the sun. Because it was so bright they figured it would add heat to an already hot season. It is NOT the brightest light in the night sky, even if you ignore the moon. That honor belongs to Venus which is not a star but a planet. .
