Canis Major

Abbreviation: CMa
Genitive: Canis Majoris
Right Ascension: 6.86 hours
Declination: -21.98 degrees

Canis Major, the Greater Dog is visible in the Northern Hemisphere from December - March, and visible in the Southern Hemisphere between November and April.

Canis Major has since ancient times been the dog of Orion. Canis is forever in pursuit of the Hare (Lepus). The belt stars in Orion point to Sirius (the Dog Star), which we draw as the nose of the dog. The Eygtians saw the star rising as the season of flooding on the Nile began.

Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)

Common Name or Bayer Number 1	RA	DEC	Magnitude 2
SIRIUS	6.00:45.00:8.87	-16.00:42.00:57.99	-1.46
ADHARA	6.00:58.00:37.54	-28.00:58.00:19.50	1.50
DEL CMA	7.00:8.00:23.48	-26.00:23.00:35.55	1.86
MIRZAM	6.00:22.00:41.96	-17.00:57.00:21.37	1.98
ALUDRA	7.00:24.00:5.69	-29.00:18.00:11.23	2.45
FURUD	6.00:20.00:18.79	-30.00:3.00:48.26	3.02
OMI2 CMA	7.00:3.00:1.46	-23.00:49.00:59.96	3.02
SIG CMA	7.00:1.00:43.14	-27.00:56.00:5.45	3.47
KAP CMA	6.00:49.00:50.45	-32.00:30.00:30.60	3.96
THE CMA	6.00:54.00:11.39	-12.00:2.00:19.13	4.07
GAM CMA	7.00:3.00:45.48	-15.00:37.00:59.74	4.11
XI2 CMA	6.00:35.00:3.37	-22.00:57.00:53.36	4.54

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

M-41

M-41 Large and splashy, this fine open cluster is easily seen as a hazy patch to the naked eye, and is fully half a degree in diameter in the telescope. About 60-70 stars can be seen at low power, in many curving chains. The cluster is dominated by a bright orange star near its center. A great open cluster.

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.

Object	R.A.	Dec.	Object Type 3	Mag.	Uranometria	Tirion
NGC 2204	06 15.7	-18 39	OPNCL	08.6	317	11
NGC 2243	06 29.8	-31 17	OPNCL	09.4	360	19
NGC 2287	06 47.0	-20 44	OPNCL	04.5	318	19
Cr 121	06 54.2	-24 38	OPNCL	02.6	318	19
NGC 2345	07 08.3	-13 10	OPNCL	07.7	273	12
NGC 2354	07 14.3	-25 44	OPNCL	06.5	319	19
Cr 132	07 14.4	-31 10	OPNCL	03.6	361	19
Basel 11A	07 17.1	-13 58	OPNCL	08.2	274	12
Basel 11	07 17.3	-12 12	OPNCL	08.2	274	12
NGC 2360	07 17.8	-15 37	OPNCL	07.2	274	12
NGC 2362	07 18.8	-24 57	OPNCL	04.1	319	19
Haffner 6	07 20.1	-13 08	OPNCL	09.2	274	12
NGC 2367	07 20.1	-21 56	OPNCL	07.9	319	19
Haffner 8	07 23.4	-12 20	OPNCL	09.1	274	12
Cr 140	07 23.9	-32 12	OPNCL	03.5	361	19
NGC 2374	07 24.0	-13 16	OPNCL	08	274	12
NGC 2383	07 24.8	-20 56	OPNCL	08.4	319	19
Ru 18	07 24.8	-26 13	OPNCL	09.4	319	19
NGC 2384	07 25.1	-21 02	OPNCL	07.4	319	19
Tr 6	07 26.1	-24 18	OPNCL	10.0	319	19
Ru 20	07 26.7	-28 53	OPNCL	09.5	361	19

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

GCVS ID	R.A. (hh mm ss.ss)	Dec. (deg mm ss)	Variable Type 4	Mag. Min	Mag. Max
R CMa	7.00:17.00:12.30	-16.00:18.00:0.00	EA/SD	6.34	5.70
W CMa	7.00:5.00:43.20	-11.00:50.00:35.00	LB	7.90	6.35
UW CMa	7.00:16.00:35.40	-24.00:27.00:59.00	EB/KE:	5.33	4.84
EW CMa	7.00:12.00:12.80	-26.00:15.00:54.00	GCAS	4.82	4.42
EY CMa	6.00:51.00:23.10	-20.00:9.00:40.00	BCEP	4.84	4.79
EZ CMa	6.00:52.00:8.10	-23.00:51.00:52.00	WR	6.95	6.71
FF CMa	7.00:8.00:35.00	-30.00:34.00:48.00	EB/KE	7.74	7.38
FM CMa	7.00:3.00:22.90	-12.00:44.00:4.00	EB/DM	7.50	7.28
FN CMa	7.00:4.00:19.80	-11.00:12.00:57.00	BCEP	5.42	5.38
FR CMa	6.00:19.00:4.80	-11.00:44.00:56.00	GCAS	5.64	5.46
FT CMa	6.00:42.00:34.20	-31.00:1.00:5.00	GCAS	5.44	5.13
FU CMa	6.00:58.00:11.80	-22.00:2.00:53.00	GCAS	6.60	6.48
FV CMa	7.00:5.00:17.10	-23.00:45.00:40.00	GCAS	5.94	5.64
FW CMa	7.00:22.00:24.50	-16.00:6.00:6.00	GCAS	5.50	5.00
FY CMa	7.00:24.00:52.20	-22.00:59.00:3.00	GCAS	5.69	5.54
GG CMa	7.00:11.00:51.70	-30.00:59.00:48.00	ELL+BCEP:	6.61	6.55
GH CMa	7.00:20.00:12.70	-20.00:24.00:36.00	SRB	7.19	6.82
GU CMa	6.00:59.00:28.60	-11.00:13.00:41.00	GCAS	6.72	6.49
GY CMa	7.00:11.00:35.40	-27.00:16.00:11.00	BCEP:	0.04	6.12
HH CMa	6.00:55.00:7.40	-22.00:8.00:8.00	BCEP	6.66	6.59
HI CMa	7.00:10.00:29.00	-15.00:24.00:48.00	GCAS	0.40	7.80
HK CMa	6.00:44.00:52.90	-20.00:57.00:36.00	ACV	6.09	6.06
HN CMa	7.00:10.00:23.40	-27.00:23.00:21.00	DSCTC	0.02	6.61
HP CMa	6.00:43.00:36.80	-30.00:53.00:43.00	GCAS	5.80	5.48
HQ CMa	7.00:18.00:53.10	-26.00:52.00:7.00	EA	6.27	6.01
HR CMa	6.00:30.00:26.30	-11.00:7.00:42.00	EA/GS	6.32	6.24
bet CMa	6.00:20.00:29.80	-17.00:55.00:47.00	BCEP	2.00	1.93
iot CMa	6.00:53.00:54.40	-16.00:59.00:17.00	BCEP	4.40	4.36
kap CMa	6.00:47.00:58.30	-32.00:26.00:59.00	GCAS	3.97	3.78
ksi 1 CMa	6.00:29.00:46.30	-23.00:22.00:52.00	BCEP	4.36	4.33
omi 1 CMa	6.00:52.00:3.40	-24.00:7.00:13.00	LC	3.99	3.78
sig CMa	6.00:59.00:43.60	-27.00:51.00:43.00	LC	3.51	3.43
ome CMa	7.00:12.00:46.90	-26.00:41.00:5.00	GCAS	4.18	3.60

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

Name	R.A. (hh mm.m)	Dec. (deg mm)	Mag 5	Sep 6	PA 7	Tirion	Uranometria
S 516	06 19.3	-24 58	7.2, 7.1	302.10	243	19	317
ZETA CMA	06 20.3	-30 03	3.1, 7.7	175.50	338	19	359/ 360
HJ 3869	06 32.6	-32 01	5.7, 7.7	24.90	258	19	360
CPO 7	06 58.6	-28 58	1.6, 7.5	7.50	161	19	318/ 360/ 361
HJ 3945	07 16.6	-23 18	4.8, 6.8	26.80	54	19	319
HJ 3949	07 18.6	-30 48	7.7, 8.0	2.90	76	19	361
LAL 53	07 19.4	-22 03	7.5, 7.6	4.00	346	19	319
ETA CMA	07 24.1	-29 18	2.4, 6.9	178.70	285	19	319/ 361
DUN 47	07 24.7	-31 48	5.5, 7.6	99.20	342	19	361