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Sirius
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Star Sirius

Binary star Sirius is located 9 light years away from the Sun. It consists of a white-blue star and a white dwarf. For now, there are no known exoplanets in this star system.
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Sun distance
9 light years
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Sirius A

White-Blue star, Spectroscopic binary
Spectral class: A0mA1 Va

Location +

Ascension iconRight ascension: 6h 45m 8.792s
Declination iconDeclination: -16° 43' 15.357'' (equatorial region)
Parallax iconParallax: 374.490
Distance iconSun distance: 8.709 ly | 2.7 pc
Star position
The position of a star tells us where it appears in the sky, similar to how we use coordinates like latitude and longitude on Earth. In astronomy, the three main coordinates are right ascension, declination and distance. .. icon More about Star position in StellarGuide

Basic characteristic

icon weight
Mass: 206.3 % M Sun
| 2161 M Jupiter
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Star mass
Mass of the star Sirius A is 2.063 solar masses.

The mass of a star is the total amount of matter it contains. It is one of the most important properties of a star, as it determines almost everything about how the star lives, changes, and dies. In astronomy, star mass is usually measured in solar masses (M☉) — where 1 solar mass is equal to the mass of our Sun... icon More about Star mass in StellarGuide
radius icon
Size: 171 % R Sun
| 17 R Jupiter
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Star size
Radius of the star Sirius A is 1.711 solar radii.

The size of a star refers to its radius — the distance from its center to its surface. Star size is usually measured in solar radii (R☉), where 1 solar radius equals approximately 696,000 kilometers. Depending on their type and life stage, stars can be much smaller or larger than the Sun... icon More about Star size in StellarGuide
temperature icon
Temperature: 9882 K | 1.71 T Sun
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Star temperature
Surface temperature of Sirius A is 9882 K, which is 171 % of the temperature on the surface of the Sun.

The temperature of a star refers to the temperature at its surface, also called the photosphere. It is measured in kelvins (K), the standard unit for temperature in astronomy. A star’s temperature tells us a lot about its physical properties and where it stands in its evolutionary stage... icon More about Star temperature in StellarGuide
time icon
Age: 0.24 billions years | 0.05 Sun
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Star age
Star Sirius A is 0.24 billion years old, which is about 0.05 of the Sun's age.

The age of a star tells us how long it has been shining since it formed. Knowing a star’s age helps astronomers understand its life stage, how it has changed over time, and what will happen to it in the future... icon More about Star age in StellarGuide
luminosity icon
Luminosity: 25.4 L Sun
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Star luminosity
Luminosity is the total amount of energy a star gives off every second. Think of it as the star’s true brightness — not just how bright it looks from Earth. This is important because some stars may appear dim simply because they are far away, not because they’re actually faint... icon More about Star luminosity in StellarGuide

Photometry

Magnitude iconApparent magnitude (V): -1.5
Magnitude iconAbsolute magnitude (V): 1.4
Absolute stellar magnitude in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared (K band) to ultraviolet (U band).
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
K
2.1
H
1.6
J
1.2
Grp
0.8
I
0.8
G
0.6
V
0.5
Gbp
0.5
B
0.4
U
0.3

Sirius B

White dwarf, , Spectroscopic binary
Spectral class: DA1.9

Location +

Distance iconDistance from the primary: 7.4957 AU

Basic characteristic

icon weight
Mass: 101.8 % M Sun
| 1066 M Jupiter
+
Star mass
Mass of the star Sirius B is 2.063 solar masses.

The mass of a star is the total amount of matter it contains. It is one of the most important properties of a star, as it determines almost everything about how the star lives, changes, and dies. In astronomy, star mass is usually measured in solar masses (M☉) — where 1 solar mass is equal to the mass of our Sun... icon More about Star mass in StellarGuide
radius icon
Size: 0.8 % R Sun
| 0.1 R Jupiter
+
Star size
Radius of the star Sirius B is 0.0084 solar radii.

The size of a star refers to its radius — the distance from its center to its surface. Star size is usually measured in solar radii (R☉), where 1 solar radius equals approximately 696,000 kilometers. Depending on their type and life stage, stars can be much smaller or larger than the Sun... icon More about Star size in StellarGuide
temperature icon
Temperature: 26083 K | 4.51 T Sun
+
Star temperature
Surface temperature of Sirius B is 26083 K, which is 451 % of the temperature on the surface of the Sun.

The temperature of a star refers to the temperature at its surface, also called the photosphere. It is measured in kelvins (K), the standard unit for temperature in astronomy. A star’s temperature tells us a lot about its physical properties and where it stands in its evolutionary stage... icon More about Star temperature in StellarGuide
time icon
Age: 0.228 billions years | 0.05 Sun
+
Star age
Star Sirius B is 0.228 billion years old, which is about 0.05 of the Sun's age.

The age of a star tells us how long it has been shining since it formed. Knowing a star’s age helps astronomers understand its life stage, how it has changed over time, and what will happen to it in the future... icon More about Star age in StellarGuide
luminosity icon
Luminosity: 0.056 L Sun
+
Star luminosity
Luminosity is the total amount of energy a star gives off every second. Think of it as the star’s true brightness — not just how bright it looks from Earth. This is important because some stars may appear dim simply because they are far away, not because they’re actually faint... icon More about Star luminosity in StellarGuide

Photometry

Magnitude iconApparent magnitude (V): 8.4
Magnitude iconAbsolute magnitude (V): 11.4
Absolute stellar magnitude in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared (K band) to ultraviolet (U band).
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
K
2.1
H
1.6
J
1.2
Grp
0.8
I
0.8
G
0.6
V
0.5
Gbp
0.5
B
0.4
U
0.3
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Sirius system structure

 Sirius A
Sirius B 7.4957 AU

More about Sirius

       Sirius can be found in southern celestial hemisphere, and it is possible to see it with naked eye. The star is also observable from Northern America, Europe and Asia.
Other designations of this star
Dog Star, Aschere, Canicula, Al Shira, Sothis, Alhabor, Mrgavyadha, Lubdhaka, Tenrōsei, α Canis Majoris (α CMa), 9 Canis Majoris (9 CMa), HD 48915, HR 2491, BD−16°1591, GJ 244, LHS 219, ADS 5423, LTT 2638, HIP 32349, alf CMa, Gaia EDR3 2947050466531873024
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External sources
icon study
simbad icon
Simbad database (* alf CMa B)
Astronomical database SIMBAD (the Set of Identifications, Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data)

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is the Sirius system from the Sun?

The Sirius system is 9 light years or 2.7 parsecs from the Sun.

What galaxy is the Sirius star in?

The Sirius is in the Milky Way galaxy just like the Sun.

How many stars are in the Sirius system?

The Sirius system contains 2 stars.

What type of star is the Sirius?

The primary in the Sirius system is a White-Blue star star.

What temperature is star Sirius?

The primary in the Sirius system has a temperature of 9882 K. Find out more about the temperature of stars in Stellar guide
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