Canes Venatici (/ˈkeɪniːz vɪˈnætɪsaɪ/ KAY-neez vin-AT-iss-eye
The constellation of Canes Venatici, consisting mainly of two bright stars, is supposed to represent the two hunting dogs of Boötes held on a leash. Hevelius even named them, Asterion and Chara.
Spring
is an excellent time to view the Big Dipper in the northwest sky soon
after sunset. While doing so, it is also a good time to identify the two
largest stars within the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici) constellation.
Cor Caroli – aka Alpha Canum Venaticorum – is the brightest star in the
constellation, and Chara, Canes Venatici’s 2nd-brightest star, are
probably the only two stars you’ll ever come to know within the
boundaries of this constellation. Both of these stars appear together,
akin to Gemini’s Twins (Castor and Pollux), snuggled under the last two
stars in the Big Dipper’s handle. Here, near the crest of the Sierra
Nevada and our relatively dark sky, you should be able to pick out the
faint pair easily with just your eyes on a cloudless, new moon evening.
| Constellation | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | CVn |
|---|---|
| Genitive | canes venatical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪniːz vɪˈnætɪsaɪ/ KAY-neez vin-AT-iss-eye,[1] genitive /ˈkeɪnəm vɪnætɪˈkɔːrəm/ KAY-nəm vin-AT-ih-KOR-əm |
| Symbolism | the Hunting Dogs |
| Right ascension | 12h 06.2m to 14h 07.3m |
| Declination | +27.84° to +52.36°[2] |
| Area | 465 sq. deg. (38th) |
| Main stars | 2 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 22 |
| Stars with planets | 4 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 1 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | Cor Caroli (Asterion) (α CVn) (2.90m) |
| Messier objects | 5 |
| Meteor showers | Canes Venaticids |
| Bordering constellations | |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −40°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of May. | |
