IAU Constellation (CVn) · Genitive: Canum Venaticorum · Northern Sky

Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) & M51

Canes Venatici IAU constellation (465 sq deg, rank 38): May sky below the Big Dipper handle, hosting Cor Caroli, the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), and M3.

Solid-Angle Area465 sq deg (Rank #38 of 88)
Best Evening MonthMay
Visibility Latitudes+90° to −40°
Brightest StarCor Caroli (Alpha Canum Venaticorum) (+2.89)

Sky Navigation & Astrophysical Context

Bounded on the north and west by the arc of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, on the east by Boötes, and on the south by Coma Berenices, Canes Venatici covers 465 square degrees of prime extragalactic sky near the North Galactic Pole. Introduced by Johannes Hevelius in 1687, the constellation depicts the two greyhounds Asterion and Chara held on a leash by Boötes the Herdsman as they pursue the Great Bear around the pole.

Its two principal stars are Cor Caroli (Alpha Canum Venaticorum, V = +2.89, named 'Heart of Charles' by Sir Charles Scarborough in honor of King Charles I) and Chara (Beta Canum Venaticorum, +4.26, a nearby G0 V solar twin at 8.4 parsecs). Cor Caroli is both the prototype of the Alpha² Canum Venaticorum class of chemically peculiar, strongly magnetic Ap stars and a showcase wide binary (+2.89 and +5.60 separated by 19.3 arcseconds).

Canes Venatici contains five Messier objects that rank among the finest deep-sky showpieces in the spring sky: the interacting grand-design Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 and NGC 5195), the flocculent Sunflower Galaxy (M63), the ring-barred spiral M94, the active starburst spiral M106 with its anomalous water-maser radio jets, and near the southern border toward Arcturus, the brilliant 500,000-star globular cluster Messier 3.

Bordering IAU Constellations: Ursa Major, Boötes, Coma Berenices.

Equatorial Center Position & Transit Altitude

Canes Venatici is centered near Right Ascension 13h 07m 12s, Declination +40° 06′ 00″ (The Hunting Dogs).

J2000 Equatorial Sky Position (Canes Venatici) +90° 0° −90° 24h 12h RA 0h Peak Meridian Altitude 90° 40°N Lat 20° 30°S Lat RA: 13h 07m 12s Dec: +40° 06′ 00″ Epoch: J2000.0 · 465 sq deg (Rank #38) First-party vector diagram derived from IAU / CDS SIMBAD / Gaia DR3 astrometry.

Practical Star-Hopping & Observing Tips

  • Drop 3.5° southwest from Alkaid (the end star of the Big Dipper handle) to center the face-on Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and its companion NGC 5195.
  • Split Cor Caroli (Alpha CVn) in any small telescope at 40×–60× and look 2.8° northwest of Beta CVn to spot the bright core of galaxy M106.
  • Find the deep crimson carbon star La Superba (Y Canum Venaticorum, V ≈ +4.8 to +6.3) forming a triangle with Chara and Alkaid.

Notable Celestial Objects in & Near Canes Venatici

Cataloged Stars and Deep-Sky Objects Associated with Canes Venatici
ObjectFamilyClassificationRA (J2000)Dec (J2000)Min. Instrument
Whirlpool Galaxy (Messier 51 / NGC 5194)galaxiesInteracting grand-design spiral galaxy pair13h 29m 52.70s+47° 11′ 42.9″70–100 mm telescope (200 mm+ under dark skies to resolve spiral arms)
Mizar & Alcor (Zeta Ursae Majoris System)multiple-starsSextuple A-type stellar system (first telescopic & first spectroscopic binary)13h 23m 55.54s+54° 55′ 31.3″Naked eye for Mizar–Alcor; any 40–60 mm telescope at 40× for Mizar A–B
Arcturus (Alpha Bootis Red Giant)starsK-type red giant branch star (thick-disk / Arcturus stream)14h 15m 39.67s+19° 10′ 56.7″Naked eye
Messier 3 (NGC 5272 Globular Cluster)globular-clustersGlobular cluster13h 42m 11.62s+28° 22′ 38.2″7×50 binoculars
Sunflower Galaxy (Messier 63 / NGC 5055)galaxiesArchetypal multi-arm flocculent spiral galaxy (M51 Group member)13h 15m 49.30s+42° 01′ 45.4″10×50 binoculars or 60 mm telescope
Cat's Eye Galaxy (Messier 94 / NGC 4736)galaxiesDouble-ringed SAB(r)ab starburst galaxy (M94 / Canes Venatici I Group anchor)12h 50m 53.06s+41° 07′ 13.6″7×50 or 10×50 binoculars; 60 mm telescope
Messier 106 (NGC 4258 Megamaser Anchor)galaxiesWater-megamaser distance-anchor spiral galaxy with anomalous radio/X-ray arms12h 18m 57.62s+47° 18′ 13.4″10×50 binoculars or 60 mm telescope
Cor Caroli (Alpha Canum Venaticorum Double)multiple-starsWide visual binary & prototype Alpha² Canum Venaticorum magnetic variable star12h 56m 01.67s+38° 19′ 06.2″Naked eye; any 40–50 mm telescope at 30×+ splits the 19.3″ pair
TON 618 — Ultramassive Black Hole & Quasarcompact-objectsUltramassive Black Hole / Hyperluminous Quasar12h 31m 47.27s+31° 00′ 05.8″250–400 mm telescope visually; 150 mm+ CCD astrograph

Scientific Sources Cited