Canis Minor (The Lesser Dog) Constellation
Canis Minor (pronounced ˈkeɪnɪs ˈmaɪnər) 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 Lesser dog" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "CMi" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "CMin" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).
The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Canis Minoris" (pronounced ˈkeɪnɪs mɪˈnɒrɪs) 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 Minoris (the brightest star of Canis Minor based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Canis Minoris (the 23th star in the constellation of Canis Minor based on the Flamsteed catalog).
Sky Chart of Canis Minor Constellation
Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Canis Minor constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Canis Minor in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.
Visibility of Canis Minor Constellation
Location: Greenwich, UK
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Canis Minor rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, UK are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
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 Minor Constellation
The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Canis Minor constellation. See also the complete list of 44 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Canis Minor. Click on each star to see more details about it.
| HR Number(*) | Star designation | Proper name | Visual magnitude | Color | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HR2943 | α Canis Minoris | Procyon | 0.38 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; |
|
HR2845 | β Canis Minoris | Gomeisa | 2.9 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; |
|
HR2854 | γ Canis Minoris | 4.32 | ⬤ | Multiple; | |
|
HR3145 | 4.39 | ⬤ | Double; | ||
|
HR2864 | 6 Canis Minoris | 4.54 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
|
HR2828 | ε Canis Minoris | 4.99 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3059 | ζ Canis Minoris | 5.14 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR2880 | δ1 Canis Minoris | 5.25 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR2851 | η Canis Minoris | 5.25 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR3110 | 14 Canis Minoris | 5.29 | ⬤ | Multiple; | |
|
HR2820 | 1 Canis Minoris | 5.3 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3008 | 11 Canis Minoris | 5.3 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
|
HR2729 | 5.35 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR2887 | δ2 Canis Minoris | 5.59 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR2728 | 5.62 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR3136 | 5.65 | ⬤ | Double; | ||
|
HR2682 | 5.75 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR2901 | δ3 Canis Minoris | 5.81 | ⬤ | Multiple; | |
|
HR2747 | 5.82 | ⬤ | Variable; | ||
|
HR3087 | 5.86 | ⬤ | |||
| ...go to the complete list of 44 bright stars in the constellation of Canis Minor | ||||||
(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.
Deep Sky Objects in Canis Minor Constellation
The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Canis Minor constellation. See also the complete list of 22 deep sky objects in the constellation of Canis Minor. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).
