Modern significance[edit]
See also: Sirius in fiction
Sirius is a frequent subject of science fiction,[136] and has been the subject of poetry.[137] Dante and John Milton reference the star, while Tennyson's poem The Princesswonderfully describes the star's scintillation:
..the fiery Sirius alters hue
And bickers into red and emerald.[138]
The Grateful Dead mention the dog star in the song "Lost Sailor".
Sirius is featured on the coat of arms of Macquarie University, and is the name of its alumnae journal.[139] The name of the North American satellite radio company, Satellite CD Radio, Inc., was changed to Sirius Satellite Radio in November 1999, being named after "the brightest star in the night sky".[140] Composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, who wrote a piece called Sirius, has been claimed to have said on several occasions that he came from a planet in the Sirius system.[141][142] To Stockhausen, Sirius stood for 'the place where music is the highest of vibrations' and where music had been developed in the most perfect way.[143] Astronomer Noah Brosch has speculated that the name of the characterSirius Black from the Harry Potter stories, who owns a unique ability to transform into a black dog, might have been inspired by "Sirius B".[137]
Sirius is one of the 27 stars on the flag of Brazil, where it represents the state of Mato Grosso.[144]
Seven ships of Great Britain's Royal Navy have been called HMS Sirius since the 18th century, with the first being the flagship of the First Fleet to Australia in 1788.[145] The Royal Australian Navy subsequently named a vessel HMAS Sirius in honor of the flagship.[146] American vessels include the USNS Sirius as well as a monoplane model—the Lockheed Sirius, the first of which was flown by Charles Lindbergh.[147] The name was also adopted by Mitsubishi Motors for the Mitsubishi Sirius engine in 1980.[148]
French progressive metal band Gojira has produced an album titled From Mars to Sirius, the title track of which describes a spiritual journey to the speculative third star "Sirius C".