Canes Venatici constellation

Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs) is a constellation in the northern sky, best seen in the evening in May. Its brightest star is Cor Caroli (magnitude 2.9). Canes Venatici covers 465 square degrees and is the 38th-largest of the 88 constellations.

Updated: 2026-11-01

Canes Venatici constellation: the main stars connected by lines, labeled Cor Caroli — The shape of Canes Venatici: its brighter stars joined by the traditional stick figure.

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Detailed star map of Canes Venatici

Canes Venatici constellation star map with lines connecting the stars, the brightest stars labeled (Cor Caroli, Chara and La Superba), Messier objects M3, M51, M63, M94 and M106, the IAU boundary and neighboring constellations — Map of Canes Venatici: lines connect the stars of the traditional figure, the dashed line is the official IAU boundary. Star names and Greek letters mark the brightest stars.

Facts

Latin name	Canes Venatici (genitive: Canum Venaticorum)
Abbreviation	CVn
Meaning	the Hunting Dogs
Area	465 square degrees (38th of 88)
Location	right ascension 13.2 h, declination +40°
Visible from	latitudes 90° N to 38° S (whole constellation)
Best month	May (at about 9 pm)
Brightest star	Cor Caroli
Stars brighter than magnitude 6	33
Named stars (IAU)	3
Messier objects	M3, M51, M63, M94, M106
Neighbors	Boötes, Coma Berenices, Ursa Major

Sources: star positions, magnitudes and colors from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue; constellation boundaries and star names from the IAU; areas and distances from Wikidata; stick figures by M. van der Sluys. How the maps are made.

How to find Canes Venatici

From 40° N (the USA, southern Europe, Japan) look south in May evenings: at about 9 pm Canes Venatici stands highest, around 90° above the southern horizon. From 35° S (Australia, South Africa, Argentina) it is highest in the north, about 15° above the horizon. The months before and after (April and June) are also good: then it is up a couple of hours earlier or later.

Canes Venatici borders Boötes, Coma Berenices and Ursa Major.

Where Canes Venatici is in the night sky, shown among its neighbors Boötes, Coma Berenices and Ursa Major — Canes Venatici (highlighted) among the neighboring constellations. Bright stars are named for orientation.

Stars of Canes Venatici

Canes Venatici has 33 stars brighter than magnitude 6, the limit of the naked eye under a dark sky. These are the brightest:

Star	Designation	Magnitude	Type	Distance
Cor Caroli	α2 Canum Venaticorum	2.9	A0pSiEuHg	123 ly
Chara	β Canum Venaticorum	4.26	G0V	28 ly

Deep-sky objects in Canes Venatici

Canes Venatici contains 5 objects from Charles Messier's catalog:

Messier 3 (M3): globular cluster, 6.2 mag
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51): spiral galaxy, 8.4 mag
Sunflower Galaxy (M63): spiral galaxy, 8.6 mag
Messier 94 (M94): spiral galaxy, 8.2 mag
Messier 106 (M106): spiral galaxy, 8.4 mag

Printable Canes Venatici map and outline

A black and white version for printing and a plain outline of the Canes Venatici figure, useful for school projects, worksheets and learning to recognize the shape.

Printable black and white map of the Canes Venatici constellation with star names, lines and boundary

Canes Venatici constellation outline: the stick figure of Canes Venatici without labels

History

Canes Venatici is introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1690. Its official boundary was drawn by Eugène Delporte for the International Astronomical Union in 1930.

Questions about Canes Venatici

What is the brightest star in Canes Venatici?

Cor Caroli, at magnitude 2.9, about 123 light-years away.

When can you see Canes Venatici?

Canes Venatici is best seen in the evening in May. The whole constellation is visible from latitudes between 90° N and 38° S.

How many stars are in Canes Venatici?

33 stars in Canes Venatici are brighter than magnitude 6 and can be seen with the naked eye under a dark sky; 3 of them have official IAU names.

What does Canes Venatici mean?

Canes Venatici means “the Hunting Dogs” in Latin. Its abbreviation is CVn and the genitive, used in star names such as α2 Canum Venaticorum, is Canum Venaticorum.