Faithful Dog and Hunter

The constellations Canis Major (The Greater Dog, left) and Orion (The Hunter) are seen in the south sky in Marion, Iowa around 9:25 PM, Friday, April 1, 2011. The well-known constellations of Greek mythology are moving left to right in this image as they set toward the west. Both constellations will remain visible around this hour until they disappear behind the horizon near the end of April. The brightest star in Canis Major--Sirius--is also the brightest star in our skies. Also known as "The Dog Star," it is located 8.6 light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of -1.47. This image was created from a 34-second exposure at f/4.5 with an ISO rating of 250. The border between the cities of Marion and Cedar Rapids is located near the right portion of the photo.