Canes Venatici
Hunting Dogs (Canum Venaticorum)
Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs, is a small northern constellation representing two dogs held on a leash by Boötes, the Herdsman. Created in the 17th century by Johannes Hevelius, this constellation is a treasure trove for galaxy observers, containing the famous Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and numerous other galaxies visible in amateur telescopes.
📜 Mythology
Canes Venatici is a modern constellation, created by Johannes Hevelius in 1687 from stars that were previously considered part of Ursa Major. The dogs represent Asterion ('Starry') and Chara ('Joy'), the hunting dogs of Boötes. In some interpretations, they are chasing Ursa Major (the Great Bear) around the pole. The name Cor Caroli, given to the brightest star, means 'Heart of Charles' and honors King Charles I of England.
💡 Facts
- ✦The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) was the first spiral galaxy to have its spiral structure recognized, by Lord Rosse in 1845
- ✦M63, the Sunflower Galaxy, is another beautiful spiral galaxy in this constellation
- ✦M3 is one of the brightest globular clusters in the northern sky, containing about 500,000 stars