southern skyBest Feb
Canis Major
The Greater Doggen. Canis Majoris
- Brightest
- Sirius
- Stars
- 150
- Best viewed
- February
- Sky center
- 105.0°, -22.0°
Alpha Canis Majoris
in catalog
from mid-latitudes
RA / Dec
Live 3D view
150 stars
pinch · drag
α · Brightest
Sirius
Mythology
Orion's loyal hunting dog. Contains Sirius — the brightest star in the night sky, only 8.6 light-years away. Its annual heliacal rising once marked the flooding of the Nile and gave us the term 'dog days' of summer.
Brightest stars
top 8 of 150| Star | Bayer | Magnitude | B−V |
|---|---|---|---|
Sirius | 9Alp CMa | -1.44 | 0.01 |
Adhara | 21Eps CMa | 1.50 | -0.21 |
Wezen | 25Del CMa | 1.83 | 0.67 |
Mirzam | 2Bet CMa | 1.98 | -0.24 |
Aludra | 31Eta CMa | 2.45 | -0.08 |
24Omi2CMa | — | 3.02 | -0.08 |
Furud | 1Zet CMa | 3.02 | -0.16 |
Nganurganity | 22Sig CMa | 3.49 | 1.73 |
- Sirius9Alp CMa-1.44mag
- Adhara21Eps CMa1.50mag
- Wezen25Del CMa1.83mag
- Mirzam2Bet CMa1.98mag
- Aludra31Eta CMa2.45mag
- 24Omi2CMa3.02mag
- Furud1Zet CMa3.02mag
- Nganurganity22Sig CMa3.49mag
Lower magnitude = brighter. B−V color index maps to star color (bluer cooler, redder warmer).