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Canes Venatici ( / ˈkeɪniːz vɪˈnætɪsaɪ /) is one of the 88 constellations designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). It is a small northern constellation that was created by Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century. Its name is Latin for ' hunting dogs ', and the constellation is often depicted in illustrations as ...
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word Σείριος (Latin script: Seirios ), meaning lit. 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated α CMa or Alpha CMa. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, Sirius is almost twice ...
Many star names are, in origin, descriptive of the part in the constellation they are found in; thus Phecda, a corruption of Arabic فخذ الدب ( fakhdh ad-dubb, 'thigh of the bear'). Only a handful of the brightest stars have individual proper names not depending on their asterism; so Sirius ('the scorcher'), Antares ('rival of Ares ', i.e ...
Puppis. Visible at latitudes between + 60 ° and − 90 °. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of February. Canis Major is a constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included in Ptolemy 's 48 constellations, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations.
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Canis Minor / ˌkeɪnɪs ˈmaɪnər / is a small constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included as an asterism, or pattern, of two stars in Ptolemy 's 48 constellations, and it is counted among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for "lesser dog", in contrast to Canis Major, the "greater ...
Names of astronomical constellations are Latin, and the genitives of their names are used in naming objects in those constellations, as in the Bayer designation of stars. For example, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo is called Alpha Virginis, which is to say "Alpha of Virgo", as virginis is the genitive of virgō.
Beta Canis Majoris ( β Canis Majoris, abbreviated Beta CMa, β CMa ), also named Mirzam / ˈmɜːrzəm /, [13] is a star in the southern constellation of Canis Major, the "Great Dog", located at a distance of about 500 light-years (150 parsecs) from the Sun. [1] In the modern constellation it lies at the position of the dog's front leg.