The Procyon reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Procyon

Procyon (α Canis Minoris), meaning "before dog", is a brilliant star that receives its name from the fact that it precedes the star Sirius as it travels across the Earth's sky. These two "dog stars" are referred to in the most ancient literature and were venerated by the Babylonians and the Egyptians.

Procyon is one of the closest stars to Earth's solar system, being only 11.4 light years away. Like Sirius, it is a binary star, the main star (Procyon A) having a faint white dwarf companion, Procyon B.

Procyon is a vertex of the Winter Triangle.

Astrologically, Procyon portends wealth, fame, and good fortune.

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Procyon is also the mammalian genus to which Raccoons belong.

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