Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 2/13/2009

Question
Hi,
I'm into star gazing. I live in Bangalore, India. From 2 weeks I have been observing a bright star which twinkles in the south sky well below Canis Major constellation. I observed the star with my binoculars (don't have a telescope) and I found that this star apart from twinkling also demonstrated color changes...I could observe blue and red colors alternating in quick successions on a white background. I suspect that this is Alpha Centauri star system as it is in the south sky below Canis Major constellation. Can you please explain which star this is?


Answer
Hi,
Avinash, it is the famed star named after the rishi that first crossed the Vindhya range, Agastya.
The Vindhya mountains are thus called "Agasti's shishya".
As he lay down at Agastya's feet and became "crossable".
Previously the Vindhya's (before Agasti) were considered impassable by the Aryans in northern India.

It is rather sad that most modern Indians do not know the names of the main bright stars of the northern sky such as those in the Mriga Nakshatra, and The Krittikas (Pleades star cluster), even though the hindus were so advanced in Astronomy.

The english name for the star is Canopus.
links:-
1 - www.ias.ac.in/currsci/dec252005/2174.pdf
2 - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agastya

regards
Jayen