However, the ancient astronomers described Sirius as a red star rather than a white one. A red star is a giant one about 100 times the present size of our sun, and it appears red. Ancient astronomers recorded the following: 1. Egyptian hieroglyphs from 2,000 B.C. described Sirius as red. 2. Cicero (Roman philosopher-1st century B.C.), writing in 50 B.C., stated that Sirius was red. 3. Seneca (Roman statesman-1st century B.C.) described Sirius as being more red than Mars, which he in turn described