Sirius is a bright star with a long history. There was no thought of its being a binary system until the mid-19th century. German astronomer Friedrich Besserl (1784-1846) concluded in 1844 that Sirius had an unseen companion. But it wasn't until 1862 that the companion was seen. In 1862 American telescope-maker Alvan Clark saw it. In this photograph you can see
Sirius A and Sirius B. Sirius B is a
white dwarf. It's the little dot below bright Sirius A and slightly to the left of center.