Sirius its constellation, Canis Major (Greater Dog). The heliacal rising of Sirius marked the flooding of the Nile in Ancient Egypt and the "dog days" of summer for the ancient Greeks, while to the Polynesians in the Southern Hemisphere the star marked winter and was an important reference for their navigation around the Pacific Ocean. The brightest star in the night sky, Sirius is recorded in the earliest astronomical records. Its displacement from the ecliptic causes this heliacal rising to be remarkably regular compared to other stars, with a period of almost exactly 365.25 days holding it constant relative to the
MV Sirius Star loaded with oil. She was estimated to be worth approximately , with her cargo worth at least . "Sirius Star" was released on 9 January 2009 after payment of a US $3 million ransom. Three other VLCCs that have been ransomed by pirates are "Samho Dream", "Maran Centaurus" and "Irene SL". "Sirius Star" is a double-hulled oil tanker with a length overall of , a beam of , a hull depth of , and a draft of . She can carry of crude oil. She has a gross tonnage of 162,252 and a total cargo capacity of . Vessels of