When is the best time to observe 17 Canum Venaticorum?

17 Canum Venaticorum is best observed from March through May, with peak visibility during April when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is 17 Canum Venaticorum located in the sky?

17 Canum Venaticorum lies in the constellation Canes Venatici at right ascension 13h 10m and declination +38° 30′.

What telescope do I need to split 17 Canum Venaticorum?

Splitting 17 Canum Venaticorum requires an aperture of roughly 60 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 275.6″ at magnitudes near 5.9. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

17 Canum Venaticorum — Double Star in Canes Venatici

Observable Double Star Good (54/100)

Sep: 275.6", Companion: mag 6.3

Magnitude 5.9^m DoubleStar Canes Venatici (CVn) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 5.91

Spectral Type A9III-IV giant

Star Color Yellow-white (B-V 0.29)

2Position & Identifiers

RA 13h 10m 03.2s

Dec +38° 29' 56.0"

Constellation Canes Venatici (CVn)

HR 4971

HIP 64246

HD 114447

SAO 63380

Flamsteed 17 CVn

Double Cat 8805

SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 5.9 mag Companion 6.3 mag Separation 275.6″

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Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	Easy	Easy	Easy
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Easy	Easy	Easy
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Easy	Easy	Easy

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

4Visibility

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Best season Mar – May (peak: Apr)

5Multiple Star System Triple B: optical

Components 3 (triple)

Component IDs AC

Separation 275.6″

Companion Mag 6.3

Position Angle 296°

Star Colors A: Yellow-white C: Blue-white

Discoverer STFA 24

Separation over time

Measured 1835 → 2012 (177 y)

Separation drift 289.9" → 275.6" (-14.30")

Rate -0.0808" / y

PA drift 297° → 296° (-1°, -0.006°/y)

Apparent motion is significant on a human timescale — worth revisiting in a decade.

Measured from the WDS observational archive. No orbital solution has been derived — most likely the period is too long to fit an orbit to the available measurement arc.