<p>The best way to find a particular star/planet/etc. is almost certainly to use a star map of some sort.</p>

<p>For example, doing a Google Image search for "star map sirius" would get you quite a few pictures such as the one in <a href="http://beforeitsnews.com/science-and-technology/2013/09/worlds-oldest-temple-probably-built-to-worship-the-dog-star-sirius-2634354.html" rel="nofollow">this article about Sirius</a> that give a better picture of how Orion's belt "points" to it.</p>

<p>Alternately, there are a number of computer programs that offer a real time views/maps of the night sky.</p>

<p>Also check out <a href="http://www.google.com/sky/" rel="nofollow">Google Sky</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-09T12:21:47.043Z
2015-10-09T12:21:47.043Z
Donald.McLean
<p>Sirius is the brightest "star" in the night sky, but not the brightest object in the sky in the early morning, at the time of writing.</p>

<p>In autumn of 2015, Venus is a very bright in the early morning sky, and it outshines any star by several magnitudes of brightness. It is, perhaps, in comparison to Venus that you find that Sirius is "of very average brightness" 
On the night you mention, Venus would have appeared as a bright "star" near to the crescent moon, and visible even after sunrise. No other star or planet would have been visible after sunrise.</p>

<p>Compared to the other stars, Sirius is exceptionally bright. However, at this time of the year it is close to the horizon (as seen from Delhi) which diminishes its apparent magnitude. Sirius will also appear to "twinkle" much more than Venus, and as of the time of writing,  Venus will appear as clearly a "half disc" in a small telescope.</p>

<p>Learn to follow the sky, with either a map, or <a href="http://www.stellarium.org/" rel="nofollow">stellarium</a> so you can recognise the patterns made by the stars of the sky, then you can find a particular star, such as Sirius, much more easily and confidently.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-10T22:10:39.663Z
2015-10-10T22:10:39.663Z
James K
<p>Sirius is in Canis Major, and if you take the belt of Orion to be the reference point then we can proceed as follows. If we define Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka as going left to right as we perceive it to be in the Northern Hemisphere, then we need to draw a line going from Mintaka in a SW-ish (left and down) orientation through Alnitak to Canis Major. You should see it. It's coming up to the best time of year to see Sirius and the Orion constellation.  </p>

<p>N.B. I'm pretty certain what you are referring to as the object you're seeing at this present moment is Venus. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-11T10:03:38.517Z
2015-10-11T10:03:38.517Z
MichaelJRoberts
<p>I read in many astronomy sites that Sirius is the brightest star of the night sky and that Orion’s Belt points to Sirius. For some days I have been regularly watching Orion (just before dawn) but the star that the Orion's belt points towards is of very average brightness; I don't think it is Sirius. On the other hand I found a very bright star near Orion , albeit not along the line of its belt. On the morning of October 9 (around 5:30 am) this star was adjacent to the crescent moon and shining slightly more brightly ! Even in the early morning glow when all the stars faded away it could still be seen along with the moon. Is this Sirius?</p>

<p>I live in Delhi so I am talking of the Delhi night sky.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-09T09:33:12.823Z
That is the planet Venus
Conrad Turner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-10T07:00:51.790Z
This might help.   http://earthsky.org/tonight/orion-heralds-return-of-sirius, a picture being worth a thousand words and all that.
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-10T07:04:57.030Z
And I think Conrad Turner is correct.   Your description sounds a lot like the planet Venus which is quite a bit brighter in apparent magnitude than Sirius.    Jupiter is also brighter than Sirius.
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-12T20:53:48.593Z
Planets can twinkle if they're very low to the horizon and/or there is a lot of turbulence. The planetary disk can't even out *all* the variation. And the previous commenters are correct: this is definitely the planet Venus.
blamblambunny
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-20T14:41:06.310Z
A star always twinkles. What you've watched was shining without twinkling. Am I right? If yes, then you've watched a planet, not a star. And in this case, you've watched planet Venus.
Snack Exchange
<star><amateur-observing>
Brightest star of the night sky
Deepak
# Brightest star of the night sky

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-10-09)

I read in many astronomy sites that Sirius is the brightest star of the night sky and that Orion’s Belt points to Sirius. For some days I have been regularly watching Orion (just before dawn) but the star that the Orion's belt points towards is of very average brightness; I don't think it is Sirius. On the other hand I found a very bright star near Orion , albeit not along the line of its belt. On the morning of October 9 (around 5:30 am) this star was adjacent to the crescent moon and shining slightly more brightly ! Even in the early morning glow when all the stars faded away it could still be seen along with the moon. Is this Sirius?

I live in Delhi so I am talking of the Delhi night sky.

**Tags:** star, amateur-observing
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: That is the planet Venus  
> **username_2**: This might help.   http://earthsky.org/tonight/orion-heralds-return-of-sirius, a picture being worth a thousand words and all that.  
> **username_2**: And I think Conrad Turner is correct.   Your description sounds a lot like the planet Venus which is quite a bit brighter in apparent magnitude than Sirius.    Jupiter is also brighter than Sirius.  
> **username_3**: Planets can twinkle if they're very low to the horizon and/or there is a lot of turbulence. The planetary disk can't even out *all* the variation. And the previous commenters are correct: this is definitely the planet Venus.  
> **username_4**: A star always twinkles. What you've watched was shining without twinkling. Am I right? If yes, then you've watched a planet, not a star. And in this case, you've watched planet Venus.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-10-09. Score: 3

The best way to find a particular star/planet/etc. is almost certainly to use a star map of some sort.

For example, doing a Google Image search for "star map sirius" would get you quite a few pictures such as the one in [this article about Sirius](http://beforeitsnews.com/science-and-technology/2013/09/worlds-oldest-temple-probably-built-to-worship-the-dog-star-sirius-2634354.html) that give a better picture of how Orion's belt "points" to it.

Alternately, there are a number of computer programs that offer a real time views/maps of the night sky.

Also check out [Google Sky](http://www.google.com/sky/).


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-10-10. Score: 2

Sirius is the brightest "star" in the night sky, but not the brightest object in the sky in the early morning, at the time of writing.

In autumn of 2015, Venus is a very bright in the early morning sky, and it outshines any star by several magnitudes of brightness. It is, perhaps, in comparison to Venus that you find that Sirius is "of very average brightness"
On the night you mention, Venus would have appeared as a bright "star" near to the crescent moon, and visible even after sunrise. No other star or planet would have been visible after sunrise.

Compared to the other stars, Sirius is exceptionally bright. However, at this time of the year it is close to the horizon (as seen from Delhi) which diminishes its apparent magnitude. Sirius will also appear to "twinkle" much more than Venus, and as of the time of writing, Venus will appear as clearly a "half disc" in a small telescope.

Learn to follow the sky, with either a map, or [stellarium](http://www.stellarium.org/) so you can recognise the patterns made by the stars of the sky, then you can find a particular star, such as Sirius, much more easily and confidently.


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### Answer by username_7 on 2015-10-11. Score: 1

Sirius is in Canis Major, and if you take the belt of Orion to be the reference point then we can proceed as follows. If we define Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka as going left to right as we perceive it to be in the Northern Hemisphere, then we need to draw a line going from Mintaka in a SW-ish (left and down) orientation through Alnitak to Canis Major. You should see it. It's coming up to the best time of year to see Sirius and the Orion constellation.

N.B. I'm pretty certain what you are referring to as the object you're seeing at this present moment is Venus.


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