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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
sunny DaytimeWhat's Visible Now?
All Constellations » 

Canis Major (The Greater Dog) Constellation

Altitude: -47.3°   Azimuth: 64.2°   Direction: East-North-East

Canis Major (pronounced ˈkeɪnɪs ˈmeɪdʒər) is the Latin name of a constellation situated close to the celestial equator. As such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Greater dog" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "CMa" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "CMaj" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Canis Majoris" (pronounced ˈkeɪnɪs məˈdʒɒrɪs) 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 Canis Majoris (the brightest star of Canis Major based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Canis Majoris (the 23th star in the constellation of Canis Major based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Canis Major is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.
Available Resources for Canis Major

Sky Chart of Canis Major Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Canis Major constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Canis Major in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Canis Major Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Today's Canis Major rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 113.0°
Max altitude: 15.5°
Azimuth: 247.0°
Canis Major is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom

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 Canis Major Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Canis Major constellation. See also the complete list of 155 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Canis Major. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR2491 α Canis Majoris Sirius -1.46 Multiple;
HR2618 ε Canis Majoris Adhara 1.5 Double;
HR2693 δ Canis Majoris Wezen 1.84 Variable;
HR2294 β Canis Majoris Mirzam 1.98 Variable; Double;
HR2827 η Canis Majoris Aludra 2.45 Double;
HR2282 ζ Canis Majoris Furud 3.02 Variable; Double;
HR2653 ο2 Canis Majoris 3.02
HR2646 σ Canis Majoris Unurgunite 3.47 Variable; Double;
HR2749 ω Canis Majoris 3.85 Variable;
HR2580 ο1 Canis Majoris 3.87 Variable;
HR2429 ν2 Canis Majoris 3.95 Variable;
HR2538 κ Canis Majoris 3.96 Variable;
HR2574 θ Canis Majoris 4.07
HR2657 γ Canis Majoris Muliphein 4.12
HR2387 ξ1 Canis Majoris 4.33 Variable; Multiple;
HR2596 ι Canis Majoris 4.37 Variable;
HR2782 τ Canis Majoris 4.4 Variable; Multiple;
HR2443 ν3 Canis Majoris 4.43
HR2361 λ Canis Majoris 4.48
HR2414 ξ2 Canis Majoris 4.54
...go to the complete list of 155 bright stars in the constellation of Canis Major

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Canis Major Constellation

The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Canis Major constellation. See also the complete list of 45 deep sky objects in the constellation of Canis Major. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 2362 Open Cluster 4.1 (V)
Messier 41 Open Cluster 4.5 (V)
NGC 2354 Open Cluster 6.5 (V)
NGC 2360 (Caroline's Cluster) Open Cluster 7.2 (V)
NGC 2384 Open Cluster 7.4 (V)
NGC 2345 Open Cluster 7.7 (V)
NGC 2367 Open Cluster 7.9 (V)
NGC 2374 Open Cluster 8 (V)
NGC 2383 Open Cluster 8.4 (V)
NGC 2204 Open Cluster 8.6 (V)
NGC 2243 Open Cluster 9.4 (V)
IC 2165 Planetary Nebula 10.5 (V)
NGC 2207 Galaxy 10.65 (V)
NGC 2280 Galaxy 11.13 (B)
NGC 2293 Galaxy 11.7 (B)
NGC 2292 Galaxy 11.82 (B)
NGC 2272 Galaxy 11.88 (V)
NGC 2217 Galaxy 11.93 (V)
NGC 2196 Galaxy 11.98 (B)
NGC 2325 Galaxy 12.17 (B)
...go to the complete list of 45 deep sky objects in the constellation of Canis Major