The Star the Dogon Knew Before Galileo

In 1931, French anthropologist Marcel Griaule recorded Dogon elders describing Sirius B — a white dwarf star invisible without telescopes. They knew its 50.1-year orbit (modern measurement: 50.04 years), its extreme density, and its relationship to Sirius A. European astronomers confirmed Sirius B's existence in 1862 with a telescope. The Dogon had no telescopes. They had observation, oral transmission, and mathematics we still don't fully understand.