Sirius in fiction



The planetary systems of stars other than the Sun and the Solar System are a staple element in much science fiction. Sirius, a double star system with the binary designation Sirius AB, is the brightest stellar object in the night sky. Its component stars are Sirius A and Sirius B.
Sirius AB is the alpha star of the constellation Canis Major, whence its cognomen "the dog star". The most commonly used proper name of this star comes through the Latin Sirius, from the Greek Σείριος. The ancient Greeks observed that the appearance of Sirius heralded the hot and dry dog days of summer, and feared that it caused plants to wilt, men to weaken, and women to become aroused. The star was also an important harbinger of winter to Maori and Polynesian cultures, and central to the animist beliefs of the Dogon people of Mali. To this day it is frequently mentioned in science fiction and related popular culture.

General uses

Fictional works that do not refer to Sirius as a location in space or the center of a planetary system include: