Star Points for February, 2007; by Curtis Roelle The Dog Nights of Winter Orion is probably the most well known constellation in the winter sky, but he is not alone. Nearby, both of his two hunting dogs occupy constellations of their own known as Canis Major and Canis Minor -- the greater dog and the lesser dog. The American poet Robert Frost called Canis Major the "great overdog" describing it as "that heavenly beast with a star in one eye." That star is the brilliant Alpha Canis Majoris and is known to us by its greek name Sirius. Sirius is the brightest star in our sky after the sun itself. In reality Sirius is intrinsically much brighter than the sun. If Sirius was as near to us as the sun it would shine 23 times as bright as the sun.. The ancient Egyptians used Sirius to predict the annual flooding of the River Nile. Roman farmers sacrificed dogs to the star at not one but three annual festivals according to Richard Hinckley Allen's book "Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning". Canis Major has a smattering of bright stars resembling a dog standing on its hind legs. Depending on your imagination, Sirius marks either the dog's eye, chest, or nose. Nevertheless it is easy to find. Follow the three stars of Orion's belt toward the left and you'll run into Sirius. On February evenings around 9 or 10 p.m. Sirius is high in the southern sky. If you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope with a low magnification eyepiece that would be a good time to try locating the star cluster known as Messier 41 (M41). Starting at Sirius sweep four degrees straight down toward the horizon. The cluster will appear as a fuzzy spot. Higher magnification will reveal a beautiful smattering of diamond-like stars. M41 was discovered telescopically by Giovanni Batista Hodierna in the mid 1600s. It may also have been observed as early as 325 B.C. by Aristotle using his unaided eyes. Although Sirius is sometimes known as the "dog star" it isn't the only major star associated with a canine. Procyon is the dominate star in Orion's other hunting dog, Canis Minor. Procyon is located higher in the sky and to the upper left of Sirius. Sirius and Procyon form an equilateral triangle with Betelgeuse, the reddish-orange star marking Orion's shoulder or armpit. Other objects in the sky this month include Saturn in the east rising in the "sickle" of Leo near the star Regulus which marks the lion's heart. Saturn, its rings, and its bright moon Titan are always a pleasure to see in any sized telescope. If you need assistance locating this month's objects come out to Bear Branch Nature Center (BBNC) at 07:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26. The Westminster Astronomical Society will be hosting a public "star party" and a program in the planetarium. The star party is free. For directions or planetarium reservations and pricing information contact BBNC directly at 410-848-2517.