When it comes to the night sky, a few loyal companions are always ready to guide your gaze. From the dazzling Dog Star, Sirius, to the lesser-known but treasure-filled Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs of the heavens offer something for every stargazer. Whether you’re peering through binoculars or a telescope, these celestial canines reward patience with sparkling stars, fascinating binaries, and distant galaxies waiting to be discovered.
| Canes Venatici |
Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs, is a small but fascinating northern constellation that hangs just below the Big Dipper, part of Ursa Major. Though it lacks the size and brightness of the dogs following Orion, it more than makes up for it with hidden treasures. Its brightest star, Cor Caroli, the “Heart of Charles,” shines at magnitude 2.9 and is easy to spot near the tip of the handle of the Big Dipper. Cor Caroli itself is a binary star system, with two stars orbiting each other every 19 years. The constellation is also home to some of the most celebrated galaxies in the night sky, including the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), which interacts with a smaller companion galaxy, and the Sunflower Galaxy (M63). Though the stars of Canes Venatici are faint, this constellation rewards observers with a rich playground for both binoculars and telescopes.
Best Viewed in the Spring Sky |
| Canis Major |
Canis Major, the Big Dog, and Orion's faithful companion, stands below and to the left of his master, who dominates the winter sky. The three bright stars in Orion's belt point to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, also known as the Dog star, which makes up the canine's head. Sirius appears to be a single star but is, in fact, a double star. Its faint companion star, Sirius B, "The Pup," is a white dwarf that orbits the primary star every 50 years, making it a binary star system. Sirius is near Earth, only 8.6 lightyears away from us.
Best Viewed in the Winter Sky |
| Canis Minor |
Unlike its bigger brother, Canis Major, Canis Minor, the Little Dog, is the smaller of Orion's two hunting dogs between Canis Major and Gemini. Its constellation is only composed of two naked-eye stars resembling a straight line. Procyon is the brighter star of the two, known as the "Little Dog Star." This white/yellow star can be located by drawing an imaginary line through the two stars marking Orion's shoulders, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix. And just like Sirius, Procyon is a binary star system with a white dwarf star and is a close neighbor at 11.5 lightyears from us.
Best Viewed in the Winter Sky |
| Sirius |
Sirius, also known as Alpha Canis Majoris or the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the night sky; with an apparent magnitude of −1.46, it glows like a white, sparkling diamond. Sirius is 25 times more luminous than our Sun, and its name comes from a Greek word meaning "glowing" or "scorching." Sirius is a binary star. In 2025, its companion, Sirius B "The Pup," a white dwarf star, will reach its largest separation from Sirius "A" in its 50-year orbital cycle. The next few years will be a good time to try to glimpse Sirius B in telescopes as small as 4" (102mm) in aperture. It will be challenging to spot due to Sirius' overwhelming brightness, but the view will be rewarding if you are successful. Best Viewed in the Winter Sky
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| Procyon |
Procyon, also known as Alpha Canis Minoris or the Little Dog Star, is the brightest star in the small constellation Canis Minor, with an apparent magnitude of 0.38. It shines with a white-yellow glow, slightly hotter and more massive than our Sun. Its name comes from a Greek word meaning “before the dog,” because it rises shortly before Sirius in the night sky. Procyon is a binary star. Its faint companion, Procyon B, is a white dwarf that orbits the main star every 40.8 years. Though challenging to spot due to Procyon A’s brightness, observing the system with a telescope reveals a fascinating glimpse into a nearby stellar neighbor, just 11.5 light-years from Earth.
Best Viewed in the Winter Sky |