Canes Venatici is one of the 88 official modern constellations. It is a small northern constellation that was created by Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century. Its name is Latin for "hunting dogs", and the constellation is often depicted in illustrations as representing the dogs of Boötes the Herdsman, a neighboring constellation.
The stars of Canes Venatici are not bright. In classical times, they were included by Ptolemy within the constellation Ursa Major in his star catalogue. α CVn was Ptolemy's "28th of Ursa Major", and β CVn was his "29th of Ursa Major"
| Constellation | |
 List of stars in Canes Venatici | |
| Abbreviation | CVn |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Canum Venaticorum |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪniːz vɨˈnætɨsaɪ/ Cánes Venátici, genitive /ˈkeɪnəm vɨnætɨˈkɒrəm/ |
| Symbolism | the Hunting Dogs |
| Right ascension | 13 h |
| Declination | +40° |
| Quadrant | NQ3 |
| Area | 465 sq. deg. (38th) |
| Main stars | 2 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 21 |
| Stars with planets | 1 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 1 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | Cor Caroli (α CVn) (2.90m) |
| Nearest star | DG CVn (25.89 ly, 7.94 pc) |
| Messier objects | 5 |
| Meteor showers | Canes Venaticids |
| Bordering constellations | Ursa Major Boötes Coma Berenices |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −40°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of May. | |
