By: Dashaun Brooks

Canopus

What’s in a Name??The name comes from the name of a pilot (Canopus) of Menelaus’ fleet.

Claim to FameCanopus is the second brightest star in the sky.

Type of StarCanopus is a yellow-white super giant

How far away is Canopus?Canopus is 313 light years away

How Bright is it???Canopus is about 100,000 times brighter than the Sun

Where to view Canopus????The best place to view Canopus is in the Keel of a ship.

When to view Canopus????You can view Canopus all year round in the Southern Hemisphere.

History & Myth

Canopus name either comes from an ancient city in northern Egypt, located east of Alexandria or the helmsman for Menelaus. Menelaus was the king of Sparta during the Trojan war. He was brother of Agamemnon and married to Helen, the cause of the war. Canopus is so bright it is used as a reference point for navigation of spacecraft launched on interplanetary missions. It is located in the southern sky and not visible north of Norfolk, VA. Canopus is located in the constellation Carina. It is part of the keel of the ship Argo.

Work cited

http://space.about.com/od/stars/p/canopusinfo.htmwww.google.com

The End