heliacal rising

/ hɪˈlaɪəkəl /

noun

1. the rising of a celestial object at approximately the same time as the rising of the sun
2. the date at which such a celestial object first becomes visible in the dawn sky

Word History and Origins

Origin of heliacal rising¹

C17: from Late Latin hēliacus relating to the sun, from Greek hēliakos, from hēlios the sun

Example Sentences

On the ceiling of the Memnonium at Thebes the heliacal rising of Sirius is represented under the form and name of Isis.

From Project Gutenberg

It seems to have been considered of great importance in ancient Egypt, as its heliacal rising announced that of Sirius, which heralded the annual rising of the Nile.

From Project Gutenberg

It was called the “stormy constellation,” and at its heliacal rising, or when, as Hesiod expresses it, The gentle Pleiads, shunning his fierce pursuit, Sank late in the Ocean wave— then was the ship to be drawn up into the well-secured harbor, and the sailor for a season to shun the dangerous deep.

From Project Gutenberg

Sothic, sō′thik, adj. of or pertaining to the dog-star Sothis or Sirius.—Sothic cycle, or period, a period of 1460 years; Sothic year, the ancient Egyptian fixed year, according to the heliacal rising of Sirius.

From Project Gutenberg

On the hieroglyphic paintings at Karnak, the fact of the heliacal rising of Sothis, the dog-star, is stated to have taken place during this reign, from which it appears that Thothmes III. occupied the throne of Egypt about 1450 B.C.

From Project Gutenberg