Sirius: how to find it and when to see it
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, at magnitude -1.44, in the constellation Canis Major.
You can see it from anywhere south of 73° N, and it's highest in the evening sky in February.
Sirius at a glance
- Constellation
- Canis Major
- Magnitude
- -1.44
- Rank on our list
- 1 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Southern
- Right ascension
- 6 h 45 min
- Declination
- 16.7° south
- Visible from
- south of 73° N
- Never sets
- south of 73° S
- Best evening
- February 16
- Name from
- Greek
Where Sirius is in the sky
Sirius sits 16.7° south of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the southern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 6 h 45 min.
Right ascension works like longitude on the sky. It's counted in hours, and about one hour of it turns past you each hour of the night.
When and where to see Sirius
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Sirius rises in the east, climbs to 33° above the horizon in the south and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from January to April, and it's highest in the evening around February 16, in winter.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Sirius rises in the east, climbs to 73° above the horizon in the north and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from December to May, and it's highest in the evening around February 16, in summer.
How high Sirius climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm in summer time, and later when the sky is still too bright. A star counts as in the evening sky when it's at least 10° above the horizon.
| Latitude | Visibility | Highest point | Evening sky |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60° N | Rises and sets | 13° in the south | Feb to Mar |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 23° in the south | Jan to Mar |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 33° in the south | Jan to Apr |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 43° in the south | Dec to Apr |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 53° in the south | Dec to Apr |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 73° in the south | Dec to Apr |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 87° in the north | Dec to Apr |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 73° in the north | Dec to May |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 62° in the north | Nov to May |
What the name Sirius means
Sirius comes from the Greek seirios, which means glowing or scorching. It's also called the Dog Star, because it's the brightest star of Canis Major, the Great Dog.
Keep the sky of a night that matters
Our star maps show the stars above any place, at the minute you choose, with the constellation lines drawn in. If Sirius was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Sirius
Sirius is in Canis Major. It sits 16.7° south of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 6 h 45 min.
Sirius is highest in the evening sky around February 16. That's winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere south of 73° N. From 40° N, it climbs to 33° above the horizon in the south.
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, at magnitude -1.44.
Sirius comes from the Greek seirios, which means glowing or scorching. It's also called the Dog Star, because it's the brightest star of Canis Major, the Great Dog.