Canis Minor is a small constellation. It was included in the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and is still included among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for "smaller dog" in contrast to Canis Major, the larger dog, and it is commonly represented as one of the dogs following the constellation of Orion the hunter.
| Constellation | |
 List of stars in Canis Minor | |
| Abbreviation | CMi |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Canis Minoris |
| Pronunciation | /ˌkeɪnɨs ˈmaɪnər/, genitive /ˈkeɪnɨs mɨˈnɒrɨs/ |
| Symbolism | the lesser Dog or sexy dog |
| Right ascension | 8 h |
| Declination | +5° |
| Quadrant | NQ2 |
| Area | 183 sq. deg. (71st) |
| Main stars | 2 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 14 |
| Stars with planets | 0 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 2 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 4 |
| Brightest star | Procyon (α CMi) (0.38m) |
| Nearest star | Procyon (α CMi) (11.41 ly, 3.50 pc) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Meteor showers | Canis-Minorids |
| Bordering constellations | Monoceros Gemini Cancer Hydra |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −75°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of March. | |
