Canis Minor

Quick Facts

Star Diagram

About Canis Minor

Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog, stands on the back of the unicorn, Monoceros. It is the second of Orion's two hunting dogs. In legend, the dogs were associated with the dogs that tore the unsuspecting Actaeon to pieces when he came upon Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt, while she was bathing in a woodland pool.

The dogs are also associated with the Egyptian dog-headed god Anubis, the guide of souls.

Procyon and Gomesia are the two brightest stars in this constellation, Procyon is a Greek word for 'Before the Dog', as Procyon rises before Canis Major, which contains the Dog-Star, Sirius. The Mesopotamians called Procyon 'The Star of the Crossing Water-Dog', as it lies near their River of Heaven, the Milky Way.

Named Stars

Neighboring Constellations