Canopus was known to the ancient Mesopotamians and represented the city of
Eridu in the
Three Stars Each Babylonian star catalogues and later
MUL.APIN around 1100 BC. Canopus was called MUL.NUNKI by the Babylonians, which translates as "star of the city of Eridu". Eridu was the southernmost and one of the oldest Sumerian cities. From there is a good view to the south, so that about 6000 years ago due to the precession of the Earth's axis the first rising of the star Canopus in Mesopotamia could be observed only from there at the southern meridian at midnight. Today, the star
Sigma Sagittarii is known by the common name Nunki. Canopus was not visible to the mainland
ancient Greeks and
Romans; it was, however, visible to the
ancient Egyptians. Hence
Aratus did not write of the star as it remained below the horizon, while
Eratosthenes and
Ptolemy—observing from
Alexandria—did, calling it
Kanōbos. An
Egyptian priestly poet in the time of
Thutmose III mentions the star as
Karbana, "the star which pours his light in a glance of fire, when he disperses the morning dew." The Greek astronomer
Posidonius used observations of Canopus to calculate quite accurately the
Earth's circumference, around 90 – 120 BC. , who used his 1153 observation of Canopus in
Marrakesh while the star was invisible in his native Spain as an argument that the
Earth is round To Agastya, the star is said to be the 'cleanser of waters', and its rising coincides with the calming of the waters of the
Indian Ocean. Canopus is described by
Pliny the Elder and
Gaius Julius Solinus as the largest, brightest and only source of
starlight for navigators near
Tamraparni island (ancient Sri Lanka) during many nights.
Iran (Persia) Canopus, known as Suhail (سُهَيْل) in
Arabic and Soheil (سهیل) in
Farsi, holds significant cultural importance in Iran. Its visibility in
Iran varies due to the country's range of latitudes. For instance, in the
Alborz Mountains, at approximately 36°N latitude, Canopus rises just one degree above the southern horizon, making it a rare sight. This rarity has led to the Persian expression "ستاره سهیل شدن" ("becoming the star Soheil"), used to describe someone who is seldom seen or elusive. The term "Soheil" symbolizes rarity in
Persian literature, reflecting the star's infrequent visibility in the region.
Ferdowsi references Canopus in his poetry, associating it with
Yemen: ز سر تا بپایش گلست و سمن به سرو سهی بر سهیل یمن Ze sar tā be-pāyash golast o saman Be sarv-e sehī bar Sohayl-e Yaman From head to toe, she is adorned with flowers and jasmine, Like the tall cypress under the Canopus of Yemen. Ferdowsi uses Canopus as a metaphor for beauty, linking it to Yemen, where the star is bright and visible throughout the year. The star's name also appears in Persian literary works, such as Anvār-i Suhaylī (انوار سهیلی) ("Lights of Canopus"), a 15th-century Persian adaptation of
Kalīla wa-Dimna (کلیله و دمنه) (itself an earlier Persian translation of the ancient Indian
Panchatantra). These works highlight the cultural significance of Canopus in Persian literature.
China Canopus was described as Shou Xing, the Star of Longevity, in the
Shiji (
Records of the Grand Historian) completed in 94 BC by Chinese historian
Sima Qian. Drawing on sources from the
Warring States period, he noted it to be the southern counterpart of
Sirius, During this time it was also equated with
Old Man of the South Pole (in ) The Chinese astronomer
Yi Xing had journeyed south to chart Canopus and other far southern stars in 724 AD. Its personification as the Old Man Star was popularised in the
Tang dynasty, where it appeared often in poetry and memorials. Later still, during the
Ming dynasty, the star was established as one of the
Three Stars (Fu Lo Shou), appearing frequently in art and literature of the time. and in Mongolia, it was personified as the White Old Man. The
Hawaiian people called Canopus
Ke Alii-o-kona-i-ka-lewa, "The chief of the southern expanse"; it was one of the stars used by
Hawaiʻiloa and Ki when they traveled to the
Southern Ocean. The
Māori people of
New Zealand/Aotearoa had several names for Canopus.
Ariki ("High-born"), was known as a solitary star that appeared in the east, prompting people to weep and chant. They also named it
Atutahi,
Aotahi or
Atuatahi, "Stand Alone". Its solitary nature indicates it is a
tapu star, as
tapu people are often solitary. Its appearance at the beginning of the
Maruaroa season foretells the coming winter; light rays to the south indicate a cold wet winter, and to the north foretell a mild winter. Food was offered to the star on its appearance. This name has several mythologies attached to it. One story tells of how Atutahi was left outside the basket representing the
Milky Way when
Tāne wove it. Another related myth about the star says that Atutahi was the first-born child of
Rangi, who refused to enter the Milky Way and so turned it sideways and rose before it. The same name is used for other stars and constellations throughout Polynesia.
Kapae-poto, "Short horizon", referred to it rarely setting as seen in New Zealand;
Kauanga ("Solitary") was the name for Canopus only when it was the last star visible before sunrise. The people of the
Society Islands had two names for Canopus, as did the
Tuamotu people. The Society Islanders called Canopus
Taurua-e-tupu-tai-nanu, "Festivity-whence-comes-the-flux-of-the-sea", and
Taurua-nui-o-te-hiti-apatoa "Great-festivity-of-the-border-of-the-south", and the Tuamotu people called the star
Te Tau-rari and
Marere-te-tavahi, the latter said to be the true name for the former, "He-who-stands-alone".
Africa In the
Guanche mythology of the island of
Tenerife (Spain), the star Canopus was linked with the goddess
Chaxiraxi. The
Tswana people of
Botswana knew Canopus as
Naka. Appearing late in winter skies, it heralded increasing winds and a time when trees lose their leaves. Stock owners knew it was time to put their sheep with rams. In southern Africa, the Sotho, Tswana and Venda people called Canopus
Naka or
Nanga, “the Horn Star”, while the Zulu and Swazi called it
inKhwenkwezi "Brilliant star". It appears in the predawn sky in the third week of May. According to the Venda, the first person to see Canopus would blow a
phalaphala horn from the top of a hill, getting a cow for a reward. The Sotho chiefs also awarded a cow, and ordered their medicine men to roll bone dice and read the fortune for the coming year. To the
ǀXam-speaking
Bushmen of South Africa, Canopus and Sirius signalled the appearance of termites and flying ants. They also believed that stars had the power to cause death and misfortune, and they would pray to
Sirius and Canopus in particular to impart good fortune or skill. The
ǃKung people of the
Kalahari Desert in Botswana held Canopus and Capella to be the horns of
tshxum (the Pleiades), the appearance of all three marking the end of the dry season and start of the rainy season.
Americas The
Navajo observed the star and named it
Maʼii Bizòʼ, the “Coyote Star”. According to legend, Maʼii (Coyote) took part in the naming and placing of the star constellations during the creation of the universe. He placed Canopus directly south, naming it after himself. The
Kalapalo people of
Mato Grosso state in Brazil saw Canopus and
Procyon as
Kofongo "Duck", with
Castor and
Pollux representing his hands. The asterism's appearance signified the coming of the rainy season and increase in
manioc, a food staple fed to guests at feasts.
Australia Canopus is identified as the moiety ancestor
Waa "Crow" to some
Koori people in southeastern Australia. The Boorong people of northwestern Victoria recalled that
War (Canopus) was the brother of
Warepil (Sirius), and that he brought fire from the heavens and introduced it to humanity. His wife was
Collowgullouric War (
Eta Carinae). The Pirt-Kopan-noot people of western Victoria tell of
Waa "Crow" falling in love with a queen,
Gneeanggar "Wedge-tailed Eagle" (Sirius) and her six attendants (the Pleiades). His advances spurned, he hears that the women are foraging for grubs and so transforms himself into a grub. When the women dig him out, he changes into a giant and carries her off. The Kulin people know Canopus as
Lo-an-tuka. Tasmanian aboriginal lore holds that Canopus is
Dromerdene, the brother of
Moinee; the two fought and fell out of the sky, with
Dromerdene falling into Louisa Bay in southwest Tasmania. Astronomer has identified Canopus with
Moinee in a paper dating Tasmanian Aboriginal oral tradition to the late Pleistocene, when Canopus was much closer to the South
celestial pole.
Legacy HMS Glory Canopus appears on the
flag of Brazil, symbolising the state of
Goiás. Two U.S. Navy
submarine tenders have been named after Canopus, the
first serving from 1922 to 1942 and the
second serving from 1965 to 1994. The
Royal Navy built nine
Canopus-class ships of the line in the early 19th century, and six s which entered services between 1899 and 1902. There are at least two mountains named after the star:
Mount Canopus in Antarctica; and Mount Canopus or Canopus Hill in
Tasmania, the location of the
Canopus Hill astronomical observatory.
In popular culture • The fictional planet
Arrakis, of
Frank Herbert's 1965 novel
Dune, orbits Canopus. • Canopus is the home of superior and benevolent aliens in Doris Lessing's
Canopus in Argos books. • Canopus is a system present in the video game
Helldivers 2, host to a desert world. • Canopus is the namesake of a racing team in the anime
Umamusume: Pretty Derby, introduced in its second season. ==See also==