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16 Canis Majoris — Star in Canis Major

Magnitude 3.8–4.0m Star Canis Major (CMa) Visible
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1Physical Properties

Magnitude 3.87
Range 3.78 - 4.09
Variable Type LC
Spectral Type K2Iab supergiant
Star Color Red (B-V 1.73)
Distance 14,825 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 06h 54m 07.9s
Dec -24° 11' 02.0"
Constellation Canis Major (CMa)
HR 2580
HIP 33152
HD 50877
SAO 172542
Flamsteed 16 CMa
Variable ID Omi1 CMa
SIMBAD

3How easy to spot?

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Equipment Bortle 3 Bortle 4 Bortle 5
Naked eye Easy Medium+ Medium+
50mm finder Easy Easy Easy
150mm scope Easy Easy Easy
Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

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

4Visibility

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Best season Nov – Jan (peak: Dec)

5Survey Image

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7

Size Comparison

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Compare Stars

9

Spectral Classification

10

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

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Read: The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram — Reading Stars Like a Map
11

Stellar Lifecycle

12

Blackbody Spectrum

13

Stellar Absorption Spectrum

Simulated absorption spectrum based on spectral type. Hover over lines to identify elements.

14

Stellar Fusion

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15Stellar Notes

Lc 3.78 - 3.99V.
Member OB group near Omicron CMa; in cluster Collinder 121 (#1).
16

Light Travel Time Machine

17

Relativistic Travel

Nearby in the Sky

Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.

Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.

EZ CMa
Easy
Wolf-Rayet star — rare, hot emission spectrum
Star mag 6.91 0.3° Canis Major
Collinder 121
Easy
Open cluster
Open Cluster mag 2.6 0.7° Canis Major
NGC 2272
Medium
Elliptical galaxy
Galaxy mag 11.9 4.2° Canis Major
29 CMa
Hard+
Eclipsing binary, period 4.4d
Variable Star mag 4.98 5.6° Canis Major
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