Canes Venatici constellation
Latin Canes Venatici, genitive Canum Venaticorum, abbreviation CVn
North up, east to the left, as you see the sky. The lines are a common figure; the stars are from the catalogue.
The myth
The two hunting dogs of the Herdsman, set in the sky by Hevelius. Their brightest star is called Cor Caroli, 'Charles's heart', in honour of the English king Charles I.
When can Canes Venatici be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in April. It can be seen from everywhere north of 40°S, and it never sets north of 52°N.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cor Caroli | α2 CVn | 2.90 | bluish |
| Chara | β CVn | 4.26 | yellowish white |
| – | 24 CVn | 4.70 | white |
| – | 20 CVn | 4.73 | yellowish white |
| – | 5 CVn | 4.80 | yellow |
| – | 25 CVn | 4.82 | white |
The smaller the number, the brighter: below 1 are the brightest stars of the sky, 4 is hard to see under a city sky. Greek letters after Johann Bayer (1603).