Procyon facts for kids
Procyon is a very bright star in the sky. It is part of a small constellation called Canis Minor, which means "Little Dog." Procyon is the brightest star in this group. From Earth, it looks like a single star. It is the eighth brightest star we can see in the night sky.
Procyon might look like one star, but it is actually two stars! These two stars orbit each other. They form what astronomers call a binary star system. The main star is named Procyon A. It is a white star, similar to our Sun but a bit hotter. The second star is much fainter and is called Procyon B. This star is a white dwarf, which is a very dense, small star that has used up most of its fuel.
Procyon looks so bright because it is quite close to our Sun. It is not because it is super huge or extremely powerful. Scientists from the European Space Agency used a satellite called Hipparcos to measure its distance. Procyon is about 11.46 light-years away from us. This makes it one of our closest star neighbors. Its closest star neighbor is Luyten's Star, which is about 1.12 light-years away from Procyon.
Procyon is also famous for being one of the three points of the Winter Triangle. This is a large shape you can see in the winter sky. The other two stars that make up this triangle are Sirius and Betelgeuse. Procyon has a slightly yellow color, which you might notice if you look closely.
Images for kids
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Procyon (top left), Betelgeuse (top right) and Sirius (bottom) form the Winter Triangle. Orion is to the right. Viewed from Northern Hemisphere
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Orbit of Procyon B seen from above its plane
See also
In Spanish: Procyon (estrella) para niños
