Canis Major - Notable deep sky objects

A constellation in the S hemisphere, partly in the Milky Way. It includes Sirius, the brightest star in our sky.

Canis major
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Abbreviation	CMa
Genitive	Canis Majoris
Symbology	the Greater dog
Right ascension	7 h
Declination	{{{dec}}}°
Area	380 sq. deg. Ranked 43rd
Number of stars	5
Number of bright stars (magnitude < 3)	{{{numberbrightstars}}}
Number of nearby stars (distance < 100 ly)	{{{numbernearbystars}}}
Brightest star	{{{brighteststarname}}} (App. magnitude −1.46)
Nearest Star	{{{neareststarname}}} {{{stardistance}}}
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.

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 aren't many bright deep sky objects in this region of sky.