Canis Minor

Last updated

Canis Minor
Constellation
Canis Minor IAU.svg
List of stars in Canis Minor
AbbreviationCMi
Genitive Canis Minoris
Pronunciation /ˌkeɪnɪsˈmaɪnər/ KAY-niss MY-nər, genitive /ˌkeɪnɪsmɪˈnɔːrɪs/ KAY-niss min-OR-iss
SymbolismThe Lesser Dog
Right ascension 07h 06.4m to 08h 11.4m [1]
Declination 13.22° to −0.36° [1]
Area 183 sq. deg. (71st)
Main stars 2
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars		14
Stars with planets 1
Stars brighter than 3.00m2
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)4
Brightest star Procyon (α CMi) (0.34 m )
Messier objects 0
Meteor showers Canis-Minorids
Bordering
constellations
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −75°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of March.

Canis Minor is a small constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included as an asterism, or pattern, of two stars in Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and it is counted among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for "lesser dog", in contrast to Canis Major, the "greater dog"; both figures are commonly represented as following the constellation of Orion the hunter.

Contents

Canis Minor contains only two stars brighter than the fourth magnitude, Procyon (Alpha Canis Minoris), with a magnitude of 0.34, and Gomeisa (Beta Canis Minoris), with a magnitude of 2.9. The constellation's dimmer stars were noted by Johann Bayer, who named eight stars including Alpha and Beta, and John Flamsteed, who numbered fourteen. Procyon is the eighth-brightest star in the night sky, as well as one of the closest. A yellow-white main-sequence star, it has a white dwarf companion. Gomeisa is a blue-white main-sequence star. Luyten's Star is a ninth-magnitude red dwarf and the Solar System's next closest stellar neighbour in the constellation after Procyon. Additionally, Procyon and Luyten's Star are only 1.12 light-years away from each other, [2] and Procyon would be the brightest star in Luyten's Star's sky. The fourth-magnitude HD 66141, which has evolved into an orange giant towards the end of its life cycle, was discovered to have a planet in 2012. There are two faint deep-sky objects within the constellation's borders. The 11 Canis-Minorids are a meteor shower that can be seen in early December.

History and mythology

Canis Minor, as depicted by Johann Bode in his 1801 work Uranographia Cmi.jpg
Canis Minor, as depicted by Johann Bode in his 1801 work Uranographia

Though strongly associated with the Classical Greek uranographic tradition, Canis Minor originates from ancient Mesopotamia. Procyon and Gomeisa were called MASH.TAB.BA or "twins" in the Three Stars Each tablets, dating to around 1100 BC. In the later MUL.APIN , this name was also applied to the pairs of Pi3 and Pi4 Orionis and Zeta and Xi Orionis. The meaning of MASH.TAB.BA evolved as well, becoming the twin deities Lulal and Latarak, who are on the opposite side of the sky from Papsukkal , the True Shepherd of Heaven in Babylonian mythology. Canis Minor was also given the name DAR.LUGAL, its position defined as "the star which stands behind it [Orion]", in the MUL.APIN; the constellation represents a rooster. This name may have also referred to the constellation Lepus. [3] DAR.LUGAL was also denoted DAR.MUŠEN and DAR.LUGAL.MUŠEN in Babylonia. Canis Minor was then called tarlugallu in Akkadian astronomy. [4]

Canis Minor was one of the original 48 constellations formulated by Ptolemy in his second-century Almagest, in which it was defined as a specific pattern (asterism) of stars; Ptolemy identified only two stars and hence no depiction was possible. [5] The Ancient Greeks called the constellation προκυων/Procyon, "coming before the dog", transliterated into Latin as Antecanis, Praecanis, or variations thereof, by Cicero and others. Roman writers also appended the descriptors parvus, minor or minusculus ("small" or "lesser", for its faintness), septentrionalis ("northerly", for its position in relation to Canis Major), primus (rising "first") or sinister (rising to the "left") to its name Canis. [5] In Greek mythology, Canis Minor was sometimes connected with the Teumessian Fox, a beast turned into stone with its hunter, Laelaps, by Zeus, who placed them in heaven as Canis Major (Laelaps) and Canis Minor (Teumessian Fox). [6] [7] Eratosthenes accompanied the Little Dog with Orion, while Hyginus linked the constellation with Maera, a dog owned by Icarius of Athens. [8] [9] On discovering the latter's death, the dog and Icarius' daughter Erigone took their lives and all three were placed in the sky—Erigone as Virgo and Icarius as Boötes. [9] As a reward for his faithfulness, the dog was placed along the "banks" of the Milky Way, which the ancients believed to be a heavenly river, where he would never suffer from thirst. [10]

The medieval Arabic astronomers maintained the depiction of Canis Minor (al-Kalb al-Asghar in Arabic) as a dog; in his Book of the Fixed Stars, Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi included a diagram of the constellation with a canine figure superimposed. [11] [12] There was one slight difference between the Ptolemaic vision of Canis Minor and the Arabic; al-Sufi claims Mirzam, now assigned to Orion, as part of both Canis Minor—the collar of the dog—and its modern home. The Arabic names for both Procyon and Gomeisa alluded to their proximity and resemblance to Sirius, though they were not direct translations of the Greek; Procyon was called ash-Shi'ra ash-Shamiya, the "Syrian Sirius" and Gomeisa was called ash-Shira al-Ghamisa, the Sirius with bleary eyes. [11] Among the Merazig of Tunisia, shepherds note six constellations that mark the passage of the dry, hot season. One of them, called Merzem, includes the stars of Canis Minor and Canis Major and is the herald of two weeks of hot weather. [13]

The ancient Egyptians thought of this constellation as Anubis, the jackal god. [14]

The constellation Canis Minor can be seen alongside Monoceros and the obsolete constellation Atelier Typographique in this 1825 star chart from Urania's Mirror. Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Monoceros, Canis Minor, and Atelier Typographique.jpg
The constellation Canis Minor can be seen alongside Monoceros and the obsolete constellation Atelier Typographique in this 1825 star chart from Urania's Mirror .

Alternative names have been proposed: Johann Bayer in the early 17th century termed the constellation Fovea "The Pit", and Morus "Sycamine Tree". Seventeenth-century German poet and author Philippus Caesius linked it to the dog of Tobias from the Apocrypha. [5] Richard A. Proctor gave the constellation the name Felis "the Cat" in 1870 (contrasting with Canis Major, which he had abbreviated to Canis "the Dog"), [5] explaining that he sought to shorten the constellation names to make them more manageable on celestial charts. [15] Occasionally, Canis Minor is confused with Canis Major and given the name Canis Orionis ("Orion's Dog"). [16]

In non-Western astronomy

In Chinese astronomy, the stars corresponding to Canis Minor lie in the Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què). Procyon, Gomeisa and Eta Canis Minoris form an asterism known as Nánhé, the Southern River. [9] [17] With its counterpart, the Northern River Beihe (Castor and Pollux), Nánhé was also associated with a gate or sentry. Along with Zeta and 8 Cancri, 6 Canis Minoris and 11 Canis Minoris formed the asterism Shuiwei, which literally means "water level". Combined with additional stars in Gemini, Shuiwei represented an official who managed floodwaters or a marker of the water level. [9] Neighboring Korea recognized four stars in Canis Minor as part of a different constellation, "the position of the water". This constellation was located in the Red Bird, the southern portion of the sky. [18]

Polynesian peoples often did not recognize Canis Minor as a constellation, but they saw Procyon as significant and often named it; in the Tuamotu Archipelago it was known as Hiro, meaning "twist as a thread of coconut fiber", and Kopu-nui-o-Hiro ("great paunch of Hiro"), which was either a name for the modern figure of Canis Minor or an alternative name for Procyon. Other names included Vena (after a goddess), on Mangaia and Puanga-hori (false Puanga, the name for Rigel), in New Zealand. In the Society Islands, Procyon was called Ana-tahua-vahine-o-toa-te-manava, literally "Aster the priestess of brave heart", figuratively the "pillar for elocution". [19] [20] The Wardaman people of the Northern Territory in Australia gave Procyon and Gomeisa the names Magum and Gurumana, describing them as humans who were transformed into gum trees in the dreamtime. Although their skin had turned to bark, they were able to speak with a human voice by rustling their leaves. [21]

The Aztec calendar was related to their cosmology. The stars of Canis Minor were incorporated along with some stars of Orion and Gemini into an asterism associated with the day called "Water". [22]

Characteristics

Lying directly south of Gemini's bright stars Castor and Pollux, [23] Canis Minor is a small constellation bordered by Monoceros to the south, Gemini to the north, Cancer to the northeast, and Hydra to the east. It does not border Canis Major; Monoceros is in between the two. Covering 183 square degrees, Canis Minor ranks seventy-first of the 88 constellations in size. It appears prominently in the southern sky during the Northern Hemisphere's winter. [24] The constellation boundaries, as set by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 14 sides. In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 07h 06.4m and 08h 11.4m, while the declination coordinates are between 13.22° and −0.36°. [1] Most visible in the evening sky from January to March, [25] Canis Minor is most prominent at 10 p.m. during mid-February. [26] It is then seen earlier in the evening until July, when it is only visible after sunset before setting itself, and rising in the morning sky before dawn. [27] The constellation's three-letter abbreviation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is "CMi". [28]

Features

Stars

The constellation Canis Minor as it can be seen by the naked eye CanisMinorCC.jpg
The constellation Canis Minor as it can be seen by the naked eye

Canis Minor contains only two stars brighter than fourth magnitude. At magnitude 0.34, [29] Procyon, or Alpha Canis Minoris, is the eighth-brightest star in the night sky, as well as one of the closest. Its name means "before the dog" or "preceding the dog" in Greek, as it rises an hour before the "Dog Star", Sirius, of Canis Major. It is a binary star system, consisting of a yellow-white main-sequence star [30] of spectral type F5 IV-V, named Procyon A, and a faint white dwarf companion of spectral type DA, named Procyon B. Procyon B, which orbits the more massive star every 41 years, is of magnitude 10.7. [30] Procyon A is 1.4 times the Sun's mass, while its smaller companion is 0.6 times as massive as the Sun. [31] The system is 11.4 light-years (3.5 parsecs ) from Earth, the shortest distance to a northern-hemisphere star of the first magnitude. [30] [32] Gomeisa, or Beta Canis Minoris, with a magnitude of 2.89, is the second-brightest star in Canis Minor. Lying 160 ± 10 light-years (49.1 ± 3.1 parsecs) from the Solar System, [33] it is a blue-white main-sequence star of spectral class B8 Ve. [34] Although fainter to Earth observers, it is much brighter than Procyon, and is 250 times as luminous and three times as massive as the Sun. [35] Although its variations are slight, Gomeisa is classified as a shell star (Gamma Cassiopeiae variable), with a maximum magnitude of 2.84 and a minimum magnitude of 2.92. [34] It is surrounded by a disk of gas which it heats and causes to emit radiation. [35]

Johann Bayer used the Greek letters Alpha to Eta to label the most prominent eight stars in the constellation, designating two stars as Delta (named Delta1 and Delta2). [36] John Flamsteed numbered fourteen stars, discerning a third star he named Delta3; [37] his star 12 Canis Minoris was not found subsequently. [38] In Bayer's 1603 work Uranometria , Procyon is located on the dog's belly, and Gomeisa on its neck. [39] Gamma, Epsilon and Eta Canis Minoris lie nearby, [40] marking the dog's neck, crown and chest, respectively. [39] Although it has an apparent magnitude of 4.34, Gamma Canis Minoris is an orange K-type giant of spectral class K3-III C, which lies 318 light-years (97 parsecs) away. [41] Its colour is obvious when seen through binoculars. [40] It is a multiple system, consisting of the spectroscopic binary Gamma A and three optical companions, Gamma B, magnitude 13; Gamma C, magnitude 12; and Gamma D, magnitude 10. The two components of Gamma A orbit each other every 389.2 days, with an eccentric orbit that takes their separation between 2.3 and 1.4 astronomical units (AU). [42] Epsilon Canis Minoris is a yellow bright giant of spectral class G6.5IIb of magnitude of 4.99. [43] It lies 730–810 light-years (220–250 parsecs) from Earth, [44] with 13 times the diameter and 750 times the luminosity of the Sun. [45] Eta Canis Minoris is a giant of spectral class F0III of magnitude 5.24, [46] which has a yellowish hue when viewed through binoculars as well as a faint companion of magnitude 11.1. [24] [47] Located 4 arcseconds from the primary, the companion star is actually around 440 AU from the main star and takes around 5,000 years to orbit it. [48]

Near Procyon, three stars share the name Delta Canis Minoris. Delta1 is a yellow-white F-type giant of magnitude 5.25 located around 790 light-years (240 parsecs) from Earth. About 360 times as luminous and 3.75 times as massive as the Sun, it is expanding and cooling as it ages, having spent much of its life as a main sequence star of spectrum B6V. [48] Also known as 8 Canis Minoris, Delta2 is an F-type main-sequence star of spectral type F2V and magnitude 5.59 which is 136 light-years (42 parsecs) distant. [49] The last of the trio, Delta3 (also known as 9 Canis Minoris), is a white main sequence star of spectral type A0Vnn and magnitude 5.83 which is 680 light-years (210 parsecs) distant. [50] These stars mark the paws of the Lesser Dog's left hind leg, while magnitude 5.13 Zeta marks the right. [39] [51] A blue-white bright giant of spectral type B8II, Zeta lies around 623 light-years (191 parsecs) away from the Solar System. [51]

Lying 222 ± 7 light-years away with an apparent magnitude of 4.39, [52] [53] HD 66141 is 6.8 billion years old and has evolved into an orange giant of spectral type K2III with a diameter around 22 times that of the Sun, and weighing 1.1 solar masses. It is 174 times as luminous as the Sun, with an absolute magnitude of −0.15. [54] HD 66141 was mistakenly named 13 Puppis, as its celestial coordinates were recorded incorrectly when catalogued and hence mistakenly thought to be in the constellation of Puppis; Bode gave it the name Lambda Canis Minoris, which is now obsolete. [55] The orange giant is orbited by a planet, HD 66141b, which was detected in 2012 by measuring the star's radial velocity. The planet has a mass around 6 times that of Jupiter and a period of 480 days. [53]

A red giant of spectral type M4III, BC Canis Minoris lies around 500 light-years (150 parsecs) distant from the Solar System. [56] It is a semiregular variable star that varies between a maximum magnitude of 6.14 and minimum magnitude of 6.42. [57] Periods of 27.7, 143.3 and 208.3 days have been recorded in its pulsations. [56] AZ, AD and BI Canis Minoris are Delta Scuti variables—short period (six hours at most) pulsating stars that have been used as standard candles and as subjects to study astroseismology. [58] AZ is of spectral type A5IV, [59] and ranges between magnitudes 6.44 and 6.51 over a period of 2.3 hours. [60] AD has a spectral type of F2III, [61] and has a maximum magnitude of 9.21 and minimum of 9.51, with a period of approximately 2.95 hours. [62] BI is of spectral type F2 with an apparent magnitude varying around 9.19 [63] and a period of approximately 2.91 hours. [64]

At least three red giants are Mira variables in Canis Minor. S Canis Minoris, of spectral type M7e, [65] is the brightest, ranging from magnitude 6.6 to 13.2 over a period of 332.94 days. [24] [66] V Canis Minoris ranges from magnitude 7.4 to 15.1 over a period of 366.1 days. Similar in magnitude is R Canis Minoris, which has a maximum of 7.3, but a significantly brighter minimum of 11.6. An S-type star, it has a period of 337.8 days. [67]

YZ Canis Minoris is a red dwarf of spectral type M4.5V and magnitude 11.2, [68] roughly three times the size of Jupiter and 20 light-years (6.1 parsecs) from Earth. It is a flare star, emitting unpredictable outbursts of energy for mere minutes, which might be much more powerful analogues of solar flares. [69] Luyten's Star (GJ 273) is a red dwarf star of spectral type M3.5V and close neighbour of the Solar System. Its visual magnitude of 9.9 renders it too faint to be seen with the naked eye, [70] even though it is only 12.39 light-years (3.80 parsecs) away. [71] Fainter still is PSS 544-7, an eighteenth-magnitude red dwarf around 20 per cent the mass of the Sun, located 685 light-years (210 parsecs) from Earth. First noticed in 1991, it is thought to be a cannonball star, shot out of a star cluster and now moving rapidly through space directly away from the galactic disc. [72]

The WZ Sagittae-type dwarf nova DY Canis Minoris (also known as VSX J074727.6+065050) flared up to magnitude 11.4 over January and February 2008 before dropping eight magnitudes to around 19.5 over approximately 80 days. It is a remote binary star system where a white dwarf and low-mass star orbit each other close enough for the former star to draw material off the latter and form an accretion disc. This material builds up until it erupts dramatically. [73]

Deep-sky objects

Nebula Abell 24 Red and Long Dead Abell 24.tif
Nebula Abell 24

The Milky Way passes through much of Canis Minor, yet it has few deep-sky objects. [75] William Herschel recorded four objects in his 1786 work Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars , including two he mistakenly believed were star clusters. [76] NGC 2459 is a group of five thirteenth- and fourteenth-magnitude stars that appear to lie close together in the sky but are not related. [77] A similar situation has occurred with NGC 2394, also in Canis Minor. [78] This is a collection of fifteen unrelated stars of ninth magnitude and fainter. [76]

Herschel also observed three faint galaxies, two of which are interacting with each other. [76] NGC 2508 is a lenticular galaxy of thirteenth magnitude, estimated at 205 million light-years' distance (63 million parsecs) with a diameter of 80,000 light-years (25,000 parsecs). [79] Named as a single object by Herschel, NGC 2402 is actually a pair of near-adjacent galaxies that appear to be interacting with each other. Only of fourteenth and fifteenth magnitudes, respectively, the elliptical and spiral galaxy are thought to be approximately 245 million light-years distant, and each measure 55,000 light-years in diameter. [80]

Meteor showers

The 11 Canis-Minorids, also called the Beta Canis Minorids, [81] are a meteor shower that arise near the fifth-magnitude star 11 Canis Minoris and were discovered in 1964 by Keith Hindley, who investigated their trajectory and proposed a common origin with the comet D/1917 F1 Mellish. [82] However, this conclusion has been refuted subsequently as the number of orbits analysed was low and their trajectories too disparate to confirm a link. [83] They last from 4 to 15 December, peaking over 10 and 11 December. [84]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antlia</span> Constellation in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere

Antlia is a constellation in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere. Its name means "pump" in Latin and Greek; it represents an air pump. Originally Antlia Pneumatica, the constellation was established by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. Its non-specific (single-word) name, already in limited use, was preferred by John Herschel then welcomed by the astronomic community which officially accepted this. North of stars forming some of the sails of the ship Argo Navis, Antlia is completely visible from latitudes south of 49 degrees north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boötes</span> Constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere

Boötes is a constellation in the northern sky, located between 0° and +60° declination, and 13 and 16 hours of right ascension on the celestial sphere. The name comes from Latin: Boōtēs, which comes from Greek: Βοώτης, translit. Boṓtēs 'herdsman' or 'plowman'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canis Major</span> Constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

Canis Major is a constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included in Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for "greater dog" in contrast to Canis Minor, the "lesser dog"; both figures are commonly represented as following the constellation of Orion the hunter through the sky. The Milky Way passes through Canis Major and several open clusters lie within its borders, most notably M41.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caelum</span> Constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

Caelum is a faint constellation in the southern sky, introduced in the 1750s by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille and counted among the 88 modern constellations. Its name means "chisel" in Latin, and it was formerly known as Caelum Sculptorium ; it is a rare word, unrelated to the far more common Latin caelum, meaning "sky", "heaven", or "atmosphere". It is the eighth-smallest constellation, and subtends a solid angle of around 0.038 steradians, just less than that of Corona Australis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microscopium</span> Minor constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

Microscopium is a minor constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere, one of twelve created in the 18th century by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille and one of several depicting scientific instruments. The name is a Latinised form of the Greek word for microscope. Its stars are faint and hardly visible from most of the non-tropical Northern Hemisphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyxis</span> Constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Abbreviated from Pyxis Nautica, its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. Pyxis was introduced by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Procyon</span> Star in the constellation Canis Minor

Procyon is the brightest star in the constellation of Canis Minor and usually the eighth-brightest star in the night sky, with an apparent visual magnitude of 0.34. It has the Bayer designation α Canis Minoris, which is Latinized to Alpha Canis Minoris, and abbreviated α CMi or Alpha CMi, respectively. As determined by the European Space Agency Hipparcos astrometry satellite, this system lies at a distance of just 11.46 light-years, and is therefore one of Earth's nearest stellar neighbors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucana</span> Constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

Tucana is a constellation in the southern sky, named after the toucan, a South American bird. It is one of twelve constellations conceived in the late sixteenth century by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. Tucana first appeared on a 35-centimetre-diameter (14 in) celestial globe published in 1598 in Amsterdam by Plancius and Jodocus Hondius and was depicted in Johann Bayer's star atlas Uranometria of 1603. French explorer and astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille gave its stars Bayer designations in 1756. The constellations Tucana, Grus, Phoenix and Pavo are collectively known as the "Southern Birds".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triangulum Australe</span> Constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

Triangulum Australe is a small constellation in the far Southern Celestial Hemisphere. Its name is Latin for "the southern triangle", which distinguishes it from Triangulum in the northern sky and is derived from the acute, almost equilateral pattern of its three brightest stars. It was first depicted on a celestial globe as Triangulus Antarcticus by Petrus Plancius in 1589, and later with more accuracy and its current name by Johann Bayer in his 1603 Uranometria. The French explorer and astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille charted and gave the brighter stars their Bayer designations in 1756.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ursa Minor</span> Constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere

Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Bear, is a constellation located in the far northern sky. As with the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, hence the North American name, Little Dipper: seven stars with four in its bowl like its partner the Big Dipper. Ursa Minor was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Ursa Minor has traditionally been important for navigation, particularly by mariners, because of Polaris being the north pole star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vela (constellation)</span> Constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

Vela is a constellation in the southern sky, which contains the Vela Supercluster. Its name is Latin for the sails of a ship, and it was originally part of a larger constellation, the ship Argo Navis, which was later divided into three parts, the others being Carina and Puppis. With an apparent magnitude of 1.8, its brightest star is the hot blue multiple star Gamma Velorum, one component of which is the closest and brightest Wolf-Rayet star in the sky. Delta and Kappa Velorum, together with Epsilon and Iota Carinae, form the asterism known as the False Cross. 1.95-magnitude Delta is actually a triple or quintuple star system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix (constellation)</span> Minor constellation in the southern sky

Phoenix is a minor constellation in the southern sky. Named after the mythical phoenix, it was first depicted on a celestial atlas by Johann Bayer in his 1603 Uranometria. The French explorer and astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille charted the brighter stars and gave their Bayer designations in 1756. The constellation stretches from roughly −39° to −57° declination, and from 23.5h to 2.5h of right ascension. The constellations Phoenix, Grus, Pavo and Tucana, are known as the Southern Birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Minor</span> Constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere

Leo Minor is a small and faint constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for "the smaller lion", in contrast to Leo, the larger lion. It lies between the larger and more recognizable Ursa Major to the north and Leo to the south. Leo Minor was not regarded as a separate constellation by classical astronomers; it was designated by Johannes Hevelius in 1687.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beta Canis Minoris</span> Star in the constellation Canis Minor

Beta Canis Minoris, also named Gomeisa, is a star in the constellation of Canis Minor. In the night sky it is notable for its proximity to the prominent star Procyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Scuti</span> Star in the constellation Scutum

Delta Scuti, Latinized from δ Scuti, is a variable star in the southern constellation Scutum. With an apparent visual magnitude that fluctuates around 4.72, it is the fifth-brightest star in this small and otherwise undistinguished constellation. Analysis of the parallax measurements place this star at a distance of about 199 light-years from Earth. It is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −45 km/s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamma Canis Minoris</span> Binary star system in the constellation Canis Minor

Gamma Canis Minoris is a binary star system in the equatorial constellation Canis Minor. Its orange colour is obvious when seen through binoculars. The system is visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude of +4.33. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 10.25 mas as seen from Earth, this system is located about 320 light years from the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NR Canis Majoris</span> Binary star system in the constellation Canis Major

NR Canis Majoris is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Canis Major, located to the east of Sirius and Gamma Canis Majoris near the constellation border with Puppis. It has a yellow-white hue and is dimly visible to the naked eye with a combined apparent visual magnitude that fluctuates around 5.60. It is located at a distance of approximately 297 light years from the Sun based on parallax. The system is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −29 km/s, and in about three million years it is predicted to approach within 14.1+4.7
−4.0 ly. At that time, the star will become the brightest in the night sky, potentially reaching magnitude −0.88.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mu Canis Majoris</span> Star in the constellation Canis Major

Mu Canis Majoris is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Canis Major. The pair can be located a little to the southwest of the point midway between Gamma and Theta Canis Majoris, and the components can be split with a small telescope. The system is faintly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.12. Based upon an annual parallax shift of just 2.62 mas as seen from Earth, this system is located roughly 1,200 light years from the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AZ Canis Minoris</span> A-type subgiant star in the constellation Canis Minor

AZ Canis Minoris is a variable star in the equatorial constellation of Canis Minor. It is just visible to the naked eye in good viewing conditions as a dim, white-hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of around 6.46. The star is located around 500 light years away from the Sun based on parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of +15 km/s. No evidence has been found for a companion to this star, although in the past it has been reported as a binary star system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6910</span> Open cluster in the constellation Cygnus

NGC 6910 is an open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 17, 1786. The cluster was also observed by John Herschel on September 18, 1828. It is a poor cluster with prominent central concentration and Trumpler class I2p. NGC 6910 is the core cluster of the stellar association Cygnus OB9.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Canis Minor, Constellation Boundary". The Constellations. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  2. ↑ "Annotations on LHS 33 object". SIMBAD . Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Rogers, John H. (1998). "Origins of the Ancient Constellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions". Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 108: 9–28. Bibcode:1998JBAA..108....9R.
  4. ↑ Reiner, Erica (1995). "Astral Magic in Babylonia". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. New Series. 85 (4): i–150. doi:10.2307/1006642. JSTOR   1006642.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Allen, Richard Hinckley (1963) [1899]. Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (corrected ed.). Mineola, New York: Dover Publications. p.  383. ISBN   978-0-486-21079-7.
  6. ↑ Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3,192.
  7. ↑ DK Publishing (2012). Nature Guide Stars and Planets. Penguin. p. 275. ISBN   978-1-4654-0353-7.
  8. ↑ Klepešta, Josef; Rükl, Antonín (1974) [1969]. Constellations. London, England: Hamlyn. pp.  118–19. ISBN   978-0-600-00893-4.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Ridpath, Ian. "Canis Minor". Star Tales. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  10. ↑ Mark R. Chartrand III (1982) Skyguide: A Field Guide for Amateur Astronomers, p. 126 ( ISBN   0-307-13667-1).
  11. 1 2 Upton, Joseph M. (March 1933). "A Manuscript of "The Book of the Fixed Stars" by ʿAbd Ar-Raḥmān Aṣ-Ṣūfī". Metropolitan Museum Studies. 4 (2): 179–197 [195–96]. doi:10.2307/1522800. JSTOR   1522800.
  12. ↑ Wellesz, Emmy (1959). "An Early al-Ṣūfī Manuscript in the Bodleian Library in Oxford: A Study in Islamic Constellation Images". Ars Orientalis. 3: 1–26 [Plate 12]. JSTOR   4629096.
  13. ↑ Oxby, Claire (October 1999). "A Review of African Ethno-Astronomy: With Particular Reference to Saharan Livestock-Keepers". La Ricerca Folklorica (40): 57–58. doi:10.2307/1479768. JSTOR   1479768.
  14. ↑ Chartrand, p. 126.
  15. ↑ Proctor, Richard Anthony (1870). A Star Atlas for the Library, the School and the Observatory. London, England: Longmans, Green. pp. 16–17.
  16. ↑ Jobes, Gertrude; Jobes, James (1964). Outer Space : Myths, Name Meanings, Calendars from the Emergence of History to the Present Day. New York, New York: Scarecrow Press. p. 137. OCLC   882705.
  17. ↑ 陳冠中; 陳輝樺 (16 July 2006). 天文教育資訊網 (in Chinese). AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy). Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  18. ↑ Rufus, W. Karl; Chao, Celia (Autumn 1944). "A Korean Star Map". Isis. 35 (4): 316–26. doi:10.1086/358723. JSTOR   330843. S2CID   144879973.
  19. ↑ Makemson, Maud Worcester (1941). The Morning Star Rises: An Account of Polynesian Astronomy. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. pp. 199, 209, 247, 267, 280. Bibcode:1941msra.book.....M.
  20. ↑ Henry, Teuira (June 1907). "Tahitian Astronomy: Birth of the Heavenly Bodies". The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 16 (2): 101–04. JSTOR   20700813.
  21. ↑ Harney, Bill Yidumduma; Cairns, Hugh C. (2004) [2003]. Dark Sparklers (Revised ed.). Merimbula, New South Wales: Hugh C. Cairns. p. 142. ISBN   978-0-9750908-0-0.
  22. ↑ Kelley, David H. (Autumn 1960). "Calendar Animals and Deities". Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. 16 (3): 317–337 [333]. doi:10.1086/soutjanth.16.3.3629035. JSTOR   3629035. S2CID   131473640.
  23. ↑ Newell, W.J. (1970) [1965]. The Australian Sky. Brisbane, Queensland: Jacaranda Press. p. 53. ISBN   978-0-7016-0037-2. OCLC   7053675. (invalid isbn)
  24. 1 2 3 Garfinkle, Robert A. (1997). Star-hopping: Your Visa to Viewing the Universe. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 78–81. ISBN   978-0-521-59889-7.
  25. ↑ Ellyard, David; Tirion, Wil (2008) [1993]. The Southern Sky Guide (3rd ed.). Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. p. 4. ISBN   978-0-521-71405-1.
  26. ↑ Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (13 November 2006). The Monthly Sky Guide (7th ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 21–22. ISBN   978-0-521-68435-4.
  27. ↑ Rodmell, Paul. "Canis Major and Canis Minor, 2 Constellations for February". Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  28. ↑ Russell, Henry Norris (1922). "The New International Symbols for the Constellations". Popular Astronomy . 30: 469–71. Bibcode:1922PA.....30..469R.
  29. ↑ "Procyon AB – Spectroscopic Binary". SIMBAD. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  30. 1 2 3 Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2001). Stars and Planets Guide. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 100–01. ISBN   978-0-691-08913-3.
  31. ↑ Gatewood, George; Han, Inwoo (2006). "An Astrometric Study of Procyon". Astronomical Journal. 131 (2): 1015–21. Bibcode:2006AJ....131.1015G. doi: 10.1086/498894 .
  32. ↑ Kaler, James B. (2006). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Stars. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 63. ISBN   978-0-521-81803-2.
  33. ↑ Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics . 616. A1. arXiv: 1804.09365 . Bibcode: 2018A&A...616A...1G . doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/201833051 . Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR .
  34. 1 2 "Bet CMi". International Variable Star Index. American Association of Variable Star Observers. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  35. 1 2 Kaler, Jim. "Gomeisa (Beta Canis Minoris)". Stars. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  36. ↑ Wagman 2003, pp. 76–77.
  37. ↑ Wagman 2003, p. 77.
  38. ↑ Wagman 2003, p. 369.
  39. 1 2 3 Wagman 2003, p. 504.
  40. 1 2 Kambič, Bojan (2009). Viewing the Constellations with Binoculars: 250+ Wonderful Sky Objects to See and Explore. New York, New York: Springer. p. 32. ISBN   978-0-387-85354-3.
  41. ↑ "Gamma Canis Minoris". SIMBAD. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  42. ↑ Kaler, Jim (19 March 2010). "Gamma Canis Minoris". Star of the Week. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  43. ↑ "Epsilon Canis Minoris". SIMBAD. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  44. ↑ Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics . 616. A1. arXiv: 1804.09365 . Bibcode: 2018A&A...616A...1G . doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/201833051 . Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR .
  45. ↑ Bagnall, Philip M. (2012). The Star Atlas Companion: What You Need to Know about the Constellations. New York, New York: Springer. pp. 108–12. ISBN   978-1-4614-0830-7.
  46. ↑ "Eta Canis Minoris". SIMBAD. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  47. ↑ Malin, David; Frew, David J. (1995). Hartung's Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes: A Handbook for Amateur Observers. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 184. ISBN   978-0-521-55491-6.
  48. 1 2 Kaler, Jim. "Eta and Delta-1 CMi". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  49. ↑ "8 Canis Minoris". SIMBAD. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  50. ↑ "9 Canis Minoris". SIMBAD. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  51. 1 2 "Zeta Canis Minoris". SIMBAD. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  52. ↑ Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (August 2018). "Gaia Data Release 2: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics . 616. A1. arXiv: 1804.09365 . Bibcode: 2018A&A...616A...1G . doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/201833051 . Gaia DR2 record for this source at VizieR .
  53. 1 2 Zolotukhin, Ivan (2012). "Planet HD 66141 b". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia . Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  54. ↑ Lee, B.-C.; Mkrtichian, D. E.; Han, I.; Park, M.-G.; Kim, K.-M. (2012). "Detection of an Exoplanet Around the Evolved K Giant HD 66141". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 548: A118. arXiv: 1211.2054 . Bibcode:2012A&A...548A.118L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201118014. S2CID   54984721.
  55. ↑ Wagman 2003, p. 460.
  56. 1 2 Tabur, V.; Bedding, T. R.; Kiss, L. L.; Moon, T. T.; Szeidl, B.; Kjeldsen, H. (2009). "Long-term Photometry and Periods for 261 Nearby Pulsating M Giants". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 400 (4): 1945–61. arXiv: 0908.3228 . Bibcode:2009MNRAS.400.1945T. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15588.x . S2CID   15358380.
  57. ↑ "BC CMi". International Variable Star Index. American Association of Variable Star Observers. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  58. ↑ Templeton, Matthew (16 July 2010). "Delta Scuti and the Delta Scuti Variables". Variable Star of the Season. AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers). Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  59. ↑ "V* AZ Canis Minoris – Variable of Delta Scuti type". SIMBAD. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  60. ↑ "AZ CMi". International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  61. ↑ "V* AD Canis Minoris – Variable of Delta Scuti type". SIMBAD. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  62. ↑ "AD Canis Minoris". International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  63. ↑ "V* BI Canis Minoris – Variable of Delta Scuti type". SIMBAD. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  64. ↑ "BI Canis Minoris". International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  65. ↑ "S Canis Minoris". SIMBAD. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  66. ↑ "S CMi". International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  67. ↑ Moore, Patrick; Rees, Robin (2011). Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy. Cambridge University Press. p. 396. ISBN   978-0-521-89935-2.
  68. ↑ "V* YZ Canis Minoris – Variable of BY Draconis Type". SIMBAD. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  69. ↑ "First Flares on a Distant Star". New Scientist: 305. 4 February 1982.
  70. ↑ "The One Hundred Nearest Stars". Atlanta, Georgia: Georgia State University Astronomy. 1 January 2012. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  71. ↑ "LHS 33 – High Proper-motion Star". SIMBAD. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  72. ↑ de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl (2005). "A Cannonball Star Candidate in Canis Minor". New Astronomy. 10 (7): 551–59. Bibcode:2005NewA...10..551D. doi:10.1016/j.newast.2005.04.001.
  73. ↑ Shears, Jeremy; Brady, Steve; Bolt, Greg; Campbell, Tut; Collins, Donald F.; Cook, Lewis M.; Crawford, Timothy R.; Koff, Robert; Krajci, Tom; McCormick, Jennie; Nelson, Peter; Patterson, Joseph; Ponthière, Pierre de; Potter, Mike; Rea, Robert; Roberts, George; Sabo, Richard; Staels, Bart; Vanmunster, Tonny (2009). "VSX J074727.6+065050: A New WZ Sagittae Star in Canis Minor". Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 119 (6): 340–46. arXiv: 0905.0061 . Bibcode:2009JBAA..119..340S.
  74. ↑ "Red and Long Dead". eso.org. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  75. ↑ Inglis, Mike (2004). Astronomy of the Milky Way: Observer's Guide to the Southern Sky. New York, New York: Springer. p. 20. ISBN   978-1-85233-742-1.
  76. 1 2 3 Bratton, Mark (2011). The Complete Guide to the Herschel Objects: Sir William Herschel's Star Clusters, Nebulae and Galaxies. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-521-76892-4.
  77. ↑ Seligman, Courtney. "NGC Objects: NGC 2450 – 2499". Celestial Atlas. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  78. ↑ Seligman, Courtney. "NGC Objects: NGC 2350 – 2399". Celestial Atlas. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  79. ↑ Seligman, Courtney. "NGC Objects: NGC 2500 – 2549". Celestial Atlas. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  80. ↑ Seligman, Courtney. "NGC Objects: NGC 2400 – 2449". Celestial Atlas. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  81. ↑ Jenniskens, Peter (2006). Meteor Showers and Their Parent Comets. Cambridge University Press. pp. 200, 769. ISBN   978-0-521-85349-1.
  82. ↑ Hindley, K. B.; Houlden, M. A. (1970). "The 11 Canis Minorids—A New Meteor Stream Probably Associated with Comet Mellish 1917 I". Nature. 225 (5239): 1232–33. Bibcode:1970Natur.225.1232H. doi:10.1038/2251232a0. PMID   16057004. S2CID   4170596.
  83. ↑ Vereš, P.; Kornoš, L.; Tóth, J. (2011). "Meteor Showers of Comet C/1917 F1 Mellish". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 412 (1): 511–521. arXiv: 1010.5733 . Bibcode:2011MNRAS.412..511V. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17923.x . S2CID   119297606.
  84. ↑ Levy, David H. (2007). David Levy's Guide to Observing Meteor Showers. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 122. ISBN   978-0-521-69691-3.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.