Canis Major
About Canis Major
The Greater Dog. Contains Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky at magnitude -1.46. Sirius is only 8.6 light-years away, one of the nearest stars. The name means glowing or scorcher in Greek. Sirius B, the companion white dwarf, was the first white dwarf discovered. Canis Major contains the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, the closest known galaxy to the Milky Way, being torn apart by tidal forces.
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