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Canis Major

Genitive: Canis Majoris

Equatorial 380 sq° CMa

Brightest star: Sirius

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Mythology

The Greater Dog, one of Orion's hunting dogs. Sirius, the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the entire sky and was important to ancient Egyptians as its heliacal rising signaled the Nile flood.

Observing Highlights

Sirius at magnitude -1.46 dominates the winter sky. Contains the open clusters M41 and NGC 2362 (Tau Canis Majoris Cluster), and the emission nebula NGC 2359 (Thor's Helmet).

Main Stars

20
Sirius

HIP 32349; Alpha CMa; 9 CMa

-1.46 mag 11.1″ B: 8.4 A0mA1Va
Adara

HIP 33579; Epsilon CMa; 21 CMa

1.50 mag 7.9″ B: 7.5 B1III
Wezen

HIP 34444; Delta CMa; 25 CMa

1.84 mag 265.9″ B: 8.8 F8Ia
Murzim

HIP 30324; Beta CMa; 2 CMa

1.98 mag 186.1″ B: 10.5 B1III
Aludra

HIP 35904; Eta CMa; 31 CMa

2.45 mag 177.0″ B: 6.8 B5Ia
Furud

HIP 30122; Zeta CMa; 1 CMa

3.02 mag 169.6″ B: 7.8 B2.5 V
24 CMa

HIP 33977; 24 CMa

3.02 mag B4Ia
Nganurganity

HIP 33856; Sigma CMa; 22 CMa

3.47 mag K4III
Omega CMa

HIP 35037; Omega CMa; 28 CMa

3.85 mag B2.5Ve
16 CMa

HIP 33152; 16 CMa

3.87 mag K2Iab
Nu CMa

HIP 31592; Nu CMa; 7 CMa

3.95 mag K1III
Kappa CMa

HIP 32759; Kappa CMa; 13 CMa

3.96 mag B1.5Ve
Theta CMa

HIP 33160; Theta CMa; 14 CMa

4.07 mag K4III
Muliphein

HIP 34045; Gamma CMa; 23 CMa

4.12 mag B8II
Xi CMa

HIP 31125; Xi CMa; 4 CMa

4.33 mag B0.5IV
Iota CMa

HIP 33347; Iota CMa; 20 CMa

4.37 mag B3II
Tau CMa

HIP 35415; Tau CMa; 30 CMa

4.40 mag 8.3″ B: 10.2 O9Ib
Nu CMa

HIP 31700; Nu CMa; 8 CMa

4.43 mag 1.2″ B: 8.2 K1-II-III
Lambda CMa

HIP 30788; Lambda CMa

4.48 mag B4V
Xi CMa

HIP 31416; Xi CMa; 5 CMa

4.54 mag A0V

Double Stars

15
HIP 35210
4.79 mag 26.5″ B: 5.8 K3Ib-II
Nu CMa

HIP 31564; Nu CMa; 6 CMa

5.70 mag 17.4″ B: 7.4 G8III+F3IV-V
Mu CMa

HIP 33345; Mu CMa; 18 CMa

5.00 mag 2.8″ B: 7.1 G5III+A2
Pi CMa

HIP 33302; Pi CMa; 19 CMa

4.68 mag 11.6″ B: 9.6 gF2
Sirius

HIP 32349; Alpha CMa; 9 CMa

-1.46 mag 11.1″ B: 8.4 A0mA1Va
17 CMa

HIP 33248; 17 CMa

5.74 mag 42.5″ B: 8.7 A3IV
HIP 34940
6.36 mag 19.3″ B: 9.1 B2IV+G5IV
HIP 32810
5.70 mag 42.7″ B: 7.7 B6Vnpe
Adara

HIP 33579; Epsilon CMa; 21 CMa

1.50 mag 7.9″ B: 7.5 B1III
HIP 31593
6.35 mag 9.0″ B: 9.3 B5V
HIP 34489
6.65 mag 15.1″ B: 11.1 B2V
HIP 31190
5.69 mag 24.7″ B: 7.9 B2IVe
HP CMa

HIP 32385

5.80 mag 5.0″ B: 8.2 B2III
HIP 30468
6.12 mag 23.1″ B: 10.5 B5Ve
HIP 32144
6.13 mag 18.0″ B: 8.3 F0

Variable Stars

2
R CMa

HIP 35487

5.70 mag 5.7 - 6.3 EA/SD F1V
29 CMa

HIP 35412; 29 CMa

4.98 mag 4.84 - 5.33 EB/KE O7Ia:fp

Deep Sky Objects

30
Open Cluster (12)
Messier 41

NGC 2287

4.5 mag 38.
Caldwell 64

NGC 2362

4.1 mag 8
Caldwell 58

NGC 2360

7.2 mag 13
NGC 2354
6.5 mag 20.
NGC 2345
7.7 mag 12.
NGC 2374
8.0 mag 19.
NGC 2204
8.6 mag 13.
NGC 2383
8.4 mag 6.
NGC 2243
9.4 mag 5.
NGC 2367
7.9 mag 4.
NGC 2384
7.4 mag 3.
NGC 2318
— mag
Galaxy (16)
NGC 2207
10.7 mag 4.3 SABc
NGC 2280
12.0 mag 5.6 Sc
NGC 2223
11.4 mag 3.3 Sbc
NGC 2217
10.4 mag 4.8 S0-a
NGC 2206
13.0 mag 2.3 Sbc
NGC 2227
14.0 mag 2.3 Sc
IC 2163
— mag Sc
NGC 2272
11.9 mag 2.1 E-S0
NGC 2325
11.2 mag 2.3 E
IC 2171
— mag 1.8 IB
NGC 2216
14.0 mag SABa
NGC 2263
13.0 mag SBab
NGC 2283
13.0 mag Sc
NGC 2295
14.0 mag Sab
IC 456
— mag 2.3
NGC 2211
14.0 mag S0
Emission Nebula (1)
NGC 2359
— mag 8.
Diffuse Nebula (1)
IC 468
— mag 20.