Astronomical miscellany

The night sky has inspired many of the character names in the Harry Potter series, including Andromeda Tonks, Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius Black. This manuscript, made approximately 900 years ago, illustrates the constellation of Canis Major (Latin for ‘the Greater Dog’). The most famous star in that constellation and also the brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, known as the ‘Dog Star’. The dog’s shape is infilled with a poem, describing the star’s mythological origins. Shown here: ff. 27v–28r