Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) Constellation
Canes Venatici (pronounced ˈkeɪniːz vɪˈnætɪsaɪ) is the Latin name of a constellation situated north of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere.
In English language this constellation is also known as "The Hunting dogs" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "CVn" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "CVen" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).
The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Canum Venaticorum" (pronounced ˈkeɪnəm vɪnætɪˈkɒrəm) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Canum Venaticorum (the brightest star of Canes Venatici based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Canum Venaticorum (the 23th star in the constellation of Canes Venatici based on the Flamsteed catalog).
Sky Chart of Canes Venatici Constellation
Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Canes Venatici constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Canes Venatici in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Visibility of Canes Venatici Constellation
Location: Greenwich, UK
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Canes Venatici is circumpolar and transits at 03:45 UTC (altitude: 78.4°)
The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations these times can have little relevance.
Bright Stars in Canes Venatici Constellation
The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Canes Venatici constellation. See also the complete list of 61 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Canes Venatici. Click on each star to see more details about it.
HR Number(*) | Star designation | Proper name | Visual magnitude | Color | Notes | |
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HR4915 | α2 Canum Venaticorum | Cor Caroli | 2.9 | ⬤ | Variable; Double; |
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HR4785 | β Canum Venaticorum | Chara | 4.26 | ⬤ | Variable; |
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HR5112 | 24 Canum Venaticorum | 4.7 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR5017 | 20 Canum Venaticorum | 4.73 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR5219 | 4.74 | ⬤ | Variable; | ||
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HR4716 | 5 Canum Venaticorum | 4.8 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR5127 | 25 Canum Venaticorum | 4.82 | ⬤ | Multiple; | |
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HR4997 | 4.92 | ⬤ | |||
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HR5110 | 4.98 | ⬤ | Variable; | ||
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HR4846 | La Superba | 4.99 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR4728 | 6 Canum Venaticorum | 5.02 | ⬤ | ||
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HR5023 | 21 Canum Venaticorum | 5.15 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR4943 | 14 Canum Venaticorum | 5.25 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR4690 | 3 Canum Venaticorum | 5.29 | ⬤ | ||
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HR4783 | 5.42 | ⬤ | |||
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HR5186 | 5.5 | ⬤ | Double; | ||
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HR5032 | 23 Canum Venaticorum | 5.6 | ⬤ | ||
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HR4914 | α1 Canum Venaticorum | 5.6 | ⬤ | Double; | |
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HR5195 | 5.62 | ⬤ | |||
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HR4945 | 5.63 | ⬤ | Double; | ||
...go to the complete list of 61 bright stars in the constellation of Canes Venatici |
(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.
Deep Sky Objects in Canes Venatici Constellation
The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Canes Venatici constellation. See also the complete list of 511 deep sky objects in the constellation of Canes Venatici. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).