Canopus is the second-brightest star in the night sky. Its name is generally considered to originate from the mythological Canopus, who was a navigator for Menelaus, king of Sparta.
Located around 310 light-years from Earth, Canopus has a luminosity over 10,000 times the luminosity of the Sun, is eight times as massive, and has expanded to 71 times the Sun’s radius. Canopus is sometimes used as a guide in the attitude control of spacecraft because of its angular distance from the Sun and the contrast of its brightness among nearby celestial objects. The Syrian philosopher Poseidonius used sightings of Canopus near the horizon in his estimation of the size of Earth around 135-50 BC.
The prominent appearance of Canopus means it has been the subject of mythological lore among many ancient peoples. Its achronycal riding (first becoming visible in the eastern sky at sunset, annually) marked the date of the Ptolemaia festival in Egypt. For Chinese astronomers, it was known as the Old Man of the South Pole.
This cache is a micro bison located in an area of public bushland. Native animals including kangaroos, birds and lizards are especially common, but as with most ACT bush areas, please be mindful of snakes in the warmer months.