The Star, the Phoenix and the Sun of the Underworld

The Enigma of Sirius: Part One

For a week in early January this year I spent most evenings watching Sirius rising from my viewpoint on a remote hill in the North York Moors – a UK dark sky reserve. The skies were generally clear, so it became something of a ritual to observe the massive, imposing constellation of Orion rise higher in anticipation of Sirius - our brightest star – cres…