Canis Minor

Canis Minor is a small constellation, visible just to the north of the celestial equator in the months around January. It was included as an asterism, or pattern, of two stars in Ptolemy’s 48 constellations

It contains only one prominent object: the eighth brightest star in the whole sky, Procyon.

It is commonly represented as the smaller of two dogs running on either side of Monoceros. Together, the pair follow at the heels of Orion.

The Greek name of the star ‘Procyon’ means ‘before the dog’, and is derived from the fact that it rises earlier than the other dog, Canis Major.

In Greek mythology, Canis Minor was sometimes connected with the Teumessian Fox, a beast turned into stone with its hunter, Laelaps, by Zeus, who placed them in heaven as Canis Major (Laelaps) and Canis Minor (Teumessian Fox)

Canis Minor does not contain any deep sky objects which are within easy reach of any but the largest amateur telescopes.

Canis Minor Contains

• Stars
  • Procyon (mag 0.4)
  • Gomeisa (mag 2.9)
  • γ-CMi (mag 4.3)
  • G-CMi (mag 4.4)
  • 6-CMi (mag 4.5)
  • ε-CMi (mag 5.0)
  • ζ-CMi (mag 5.1)
  • η-CMi (mag 5.2)
  • 11-CMi (mag 5.2)
  • δ¹-CMi (mag 5.2)
  • 14-CMi (mag 5.3)
  • HD 55751 (mag 5.4)
  • 1-CMi (mag 5.4)
  • δ²-CMi (mag 5.6)
  • HD 65900 (mag 5.6)
  • HD 55730 (mag 5.7)
  • HD 54079 (mag 5.7)
  • δ³-CMi (mag 5.8)
  • HD 56031 (mag 5.8)
  • HD 64685 (mag 5.9)
  • HD 56989 (mag 5.9)
  • HD 60803 (mag 5.9)
  • HD 57006 (mag 5.9)
  • HD 61887 (mag 5.9)
  • HD 57608 (mag 6.0)
• Open Clusters
  None
• Globular Clusters
  None
• Galaxy
  • NGC 2485 (mag 13.3)
  • NGC 2538 (mag 13.5)
  • NGC 2504 (mag 14.1)
  • NGC 2350 (mag 14.1)
  • NGC 2508 (mag 14.2)
  • NGC 2470 (mag 14.2)
  • NGC 2416 (mag 14.3)
  • IC 494 (mag 14.3)
  • IC 498 (mag 14.6)
  • NGC 2510 (mag 14.7)
  • NGC 2496 (mag 14.8)
  • IC 2231 (mag 15.0)
  • NGC 2511 (mag 15.0)
  • NGC 2499 (mag 15.1)
  • NGC 2402 (mag 15.1)
  • NGC 2491 (mag 15.6)