The Little Dog

Rising at about 8:30 tonight is the "Little Dog Star," Procyon. Though overshadowed by its big brother, Sirius, it has been to some people one of the most important stars in the sky. Both stars are to the left (east) of Orion, and represented, to the Greeks, his hunting dogs. Let's be sure we can find them. Procyon rises before, and is above, Sirius. A line through the shoulders of Orion points to Procyon; Orion's belt points to Sirius.

Here's why he was so important: to the Egyptians, the rising of Sirius at sunrise, called the heliacal rising of Sirius (after helios, sun), signaled the rising of the Nile and the flooding that followed . This flooding provided the necessary irrigation for their crops, and marked the beginning of the Egyptian year, about the end of June. But it was really not so great to learn without any warning that the growing season was upon them. That was where Procyon came in. Then, as now, Procyon rose before Sirius, about a half hour earlier. So its heliacal rising was about a month before the flood, and gave adequate warning. In fact, the Egyptian name for Sirius was Cyon, and Procyon was the bright star that warned that Sirius was on the way.

The constellation of Canis Minor, the little dog, consists of only two stars, to our unaided eyes at least. Why, then, is it a dog? Of course, it served aas a watchdog, telling that the flood was on the way.

But there's another reason - really, another story. Orion, in early myths, represents the hunter Acteon, follloweed by his two hunting dogs. Quite by accident, Acteon spied the goddess Artemis bathing in the nude. Enraged at being so discovered, she turned Acteon into a stag, leaving the hunting dogs to finish him off. Beware of hot-headed goddesses!

(12/17/08)