Dual Personalities

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To the people of the ancient world, every bright star had a personality. Some stars were welcomed into the dawn sky like a lost child, while some were treated more like a mother-in-law packing a month's worth of luggage. And sometimes, a single star could bring both responses.

A prime example is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. It's lost in the twilight now, but it'll start popping into view before sunrise within a few days or weeks, depending on your location.

Thousands of years ago, the star made its first morning appearance a little earlier in the year. From ancient Greece and Rome, it showed up at the start of summer's heat -- a time that could bring disease and famine. Since Sirius is known as the Dog Star, this time of year was known as the Dog Days -- a time that hardly brought rejoicing.

Even earlier, though, the star did bring rejoicing to the people of Egypt. Sirius first appeared around the time of the annual Nile floods, which deposited fertile soil on the fields. This time was so important that the first appearance of Sirius marked the beginning of the Egyptian year.

Because of its role in resurrecting the land, the star itself represented the goddess Isis. In Egyptian lore, she resurrected her husband Osiris, and bore their son, Horus, who united Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom. So Sirius was a welcome presence in the morning sky -- a star with a pleasant personality.

Script by Damond Benningfield, Copyright 2008

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