StarDate

Canopus


Listen Later

Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, arcs across the southwest on March nights. It’s low in the south at nightfall and wheels westward later on. Not only is it especially bright, it’s also especially twinkly – it shifts from blue to red to white in the blink of an eye.

Sirius is visible from most of Earth’s surface – all but the high Arctic. But the second-brightest star has a more limited range. Canopus is a stunner from the southern hemisphere, but it’s tough to see from the United States. You have to be south of about San Diego or Dallas to find it. And even then, it never climbs more than a few degrees above the horizon.

Canopus itself is much more impressive than Sirius. It’s far larger and more massive, and thousands of times brighter. But it’s also 300 light-years farther, so it can’t quite match Sirius’s luster.

Canopus is at the end of its prime phase of life, so it’s quite puffy. If it took the Sun’s place in our own solar system, it would extend all the way out to Mercury. But no one is quite sure whether it’s getting even bigger, or if it’s starting to “deflate” after going through a puffier phase. Either way, Canopus will continue to shine brightly in Earth’s night sky – even if not everyone can see it.

If you’re far enough south, look for Canopus just above the southern horizon as night falls. The star is due south about 8 p.m., almost directly below Sirius.

More about Canopus tomorrow.

Script by Damond Benningfield

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

StarDateBy Billy Henry

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

251 ratings


More shows like StarDate

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,183 Listeners

BirdNote Daily by BirdNote

BirdNote Daily

1,187 Listeners

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

1,329 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,789 Listeners

Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

Astronomy Cast

2,847 Listeners

The 365 Days of Astronomy by 365DaysOfAstronomy.org

The 365 Days of Astronomy

351 Listeners

Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

Universe Today Podcast

544 Listeners

Ask a Spaceman! by Paul M. Sutter

Ask a Spaceman!

803 Listeners

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries by Professor Fred Watson and Andrew Dunkley

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries

226 Listeners

SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy by Stuart Gary

SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy

294 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,206 Listeners

The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

The Supermassive Podcast

279 Listeners

NASA's Curious Universe by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NASA's Curious Universe

841 Listeners

Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

Why This Universe?

362 Listeners

Crash Course Pods: The Universe by Crash Course Pods, Complexly

Crash Course Pods: The Universe

503 Listeners