Canis Major

 

(kā'nĭs) [Lat.,=greater dog], constellation lying near the celestial equator, SE of Orion. Known as the Large Dog (Canis Minor is the Small Dog), it was associated with the figure of a dog by many cultures; the ancient Greeks identified it as one of Orion's hunting dogs, while the Scandinavians called it Sigurd's dog. It contains Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, also known as the Dog Star. Other bright stars in Canis Major are Adhara (Epsilon Canis Majoris), Mirzam (Beta Canis Majoris), and Wezen (Delta Canis Majoris). The constellation reaches its highest point in the evening sky in February.

Canis major

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List of stars in Canis major
Abbreviation:	CMa
Genitive:	Canis Majoris
Symbology:	the Greater dog
Right ascension:	7 h
Declination:	−20°
Area:	380 sq. deg. (43rd)
Main stars:	8
Bayer/Flamsteed stars:	30
Stars known to have planets:	1
Bright stars:	5
Nearby stars:	1
Brightest star:	Sirius (α CMa) (−1.46m)
Nearest star:	Sirius (α CMa) (8.6 ly)
Messier objects:	1
Meteor showers:	None
Bordering constellations:	Monoceros Lepus Columba Puppis
Visible at latitudes between +60° and −90° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of February

Canis Major (IPA: /ˈkeɪnɪs ˈmeɪdʒə/, Latin: greater dog) is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also in Ptolemy's list of 48 constellations. It is said to represent one of the dogs following Orion the hunter (see also the constellations of Orion, Canis Minor, and Canes Venatici.) Canis Major contains Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, and that star is part of the Winter Triangle.

Notable features

Canis Major's alpha star Sirius is the brightest star besides the Sun as seen from Earth. It is also one of the nearest. The star's name means scorching, since the summer heat occurred just after Sirius' heliacal rising. The Ancient Greeks referred to such times in the summer as dog days, as only dogs would be mad enough to go out in the heat, leading to the star being known as the Dog Star. Consequently, the constellation was named after it, as a Big Dog.

Other named stars in Canis Major (all names from Arabic):

• β CMa: Murzim - The Announcer
• γ CMa: Muliphen
• δ CMa: Wezen - The Weight
• ε CMa: Adhara - Virgins
• ζ CMa: Furud - Bright Single One
• η CMa: Aludra

Notable deep sky objects

There are not many bright deep sky objects in this region of sky. The only Messier object in Canis Major is Messier 41 (NGC 2287), an open cluster of visual magnitude 4.6. It is located about 4 degrees directly south of Sirius. Messier 41 is roughly 2350 light years away from Earth, contains about 8,000 stars, and is about 24 light years in diameter. It is also noted for containing a number of K-class stars.

The band of the Milky Way goes through Canis Major and therefore background galaxies are hidden behind interstellar dust clouds. However, in 2003, Canis Major Dwarf, the closest satellite galaxy to Earth was found within the constellation.

Mythology

This constellation was known to the easterners from the time immemorial. In early European classical days, this constellation represented Laelaps, Actaeon's hound; or sometimes the hound of Procris, Diana's nymph; or the one given by Aurora to Cephalus, so famed for its speed that Zeus elevated it to the sky. Most commonly, Canis Major (or perhaps just the star Sirius) is Orion's hunting dog, pursuing Lepus the Hare or helping Orion fight Taurus the Bull, and is referred to in this way by Aratos, Homer and Hesiod. The ancient Greeks refer only to one dog, but by Roman times, Canis Minor appears as Orion's second child.

Roman myth also refers to Canis Major as Custos Europae, the dog guarding Europa but failing to prevent her abduction by Jupiter in the form of a bull; and as Janitor Lethaeus, the watchdog of Hell.

Depending on the faintness of stars considered, Canis Major resembles a dog facing either above or below the ecliptic. When facing below, since Sirius was considered a dog in its own right, early Greek mythology sometimes considered it to be two headed. As such, together with the area of the sky that is deserted (now considered as the new and extremely faint constellations Camelopardalis and Lynx), and the other features of the area in the Zodiac sign of Gemini (i.e. the Milky Way, and the constellations Gemini, Orion, Auriga, and Canis Minor), this may be the origin of the myth of the cattle of Geryon, which forms one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles.

The Stars of Canis Major

The named stars in Canis Major are; Sirius, Murzim, Muliphen, Wezen, Adhara, Furud, and Aludra.

See also

• Canis Minor

References

• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Collins Stars and Planets Guide, HarperCollins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209.

External links

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Canis Major
• Star Tales – Canis Major

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