- Canes Venatici
Infobox Constellation
name = Canes Venatici
abbreviation = CVn
genitive = Canum Venaticorum
symbology = the Hunting Dogs
RA = 13
dec= +40
areatotal = 465
arearank = 38th
numbermainstars = 2
numberbfstars = 21
numberstarsplanets = 0
numberbrightstars = 1
numbernearbystars = 1
brighteststarname =Cor Caroli (α CVn)
starmagnitude = 2.90
neareststarname = β CVn
stardistance = 27.4
numbermessierobjects = 5
meteorshowers =Canes Venaticids
bordering =Ursa Major Boötes Coma Berenices
latmax = 90
latmin = 40
month = May
notes=Canes Venatici (pron-en|ˈkeɪniːz vɨˈnætɨsaɪ, _la.
hunting dog s) is a small northernconstellation that was introduced byJohannes Hevelius in the 17th century. It represents the dogs "Chara" and "Asterion" held on a leash byBoötes .Notable features
Canes Venatici is one of three constellations that represent dogs, along with
Canis Major andCanis Minor . The constellation's brighteststar isCor Caroli (α² CVn), named byEdmund Halley in memory of the king Charles I, King of England, or his son, Charles II. It is of magnitude 2.90.La Superba (Y CVn) is asemiregular variable star that varies between magnitudes 4.7 and 6.2 over a period of around 158 days. It is acarbon star and is famous for being deep red.AM CVn, a very blue star of magnitude 14, is the prototype of a special class of
cataclysmic variable star s, in which the companion star is awhite dwarf , rather than amain sequence star . RS CVn is the prototype of a special class of binary stars [ [http://simbad3.u-strasbg.fr/sim-id.pl?protocol=html&Ident=RS+CVn SIMBAD Query Result: RS CVn -- Variable of RS CVn type] on the SIMBAD database] of chromospherically active and optically variable components.Notable deep sky objects
Canes Venatici contains five
Messier object s, including four galaxies. One of the more significant galaxies in Canes Venatici is theWhirlpool Galaxy (M51, NGC 5194) andNGC 5195 , a small barredspiral galaxy that is seen face on. This was the first galaxy recognised as having a spiral structure, this structure being first observed by Lord Rosse in 1845.Other notable spiral galaxies in Canes Venatici are the
Sunflower Galaxy (M63, NGC 5055),Messier 94 (NGC 4736), andMessier 106 (NGC 4258).Messier 3 (NGC 5272) is aglobular cluster . It is 18' in diameter, and at magnitude 6.3 is bright enough to be seen withbinoculars .History
The name of the
constellation ofBootes means "herdsman". Some of its component stars were traditionally described as representing hiscudgel , which in Greek was called Κολλοροβος. When theAlmagest was translated from Greek toArabic , the translator did not know the Greek word Κολλοροβος, but rendered it as the nearest-looking Arabic word: "dhāt al-kullāb" ذات الكلاب "having ahook ", probably thinking of ashepherd's crook . When the Arabic text was translated into a Western European language, the translator mistook the Arabic word كلاب as "kilāb" = "dogs":Latin "hastile habens canes" = "spearshaft having dogs", which expression floated about the astronomical literature until Hevelius decided to find those dogs in the sky.The northern of the two hunting dogs was named "Asterion", and was sometimes regarded as an independent constellation or at least an asterism. The southern dog was named "Chara". The name of the dogs still lives in the alternate names of α CVn.
The star α CVn was initially regarded as an independent asterism or constellation. Its full name was "Cor Caroli Regis Martyris" (after
Charles I of England who was executed for high treason) [ [http://www.lindahall.org/events_exhib/exhibit/exhibits/stars/she.htm Linda Hall exhibit: Out of This World, page 15] (Manilius, Marcus)] , but irrespective of royal sympathies, such a name required abbreviation. Furthermore, the constellation contained just 1 star, α CVn, which in the end got the name Cor Caroli.Citations
References
* Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). "Stars and Planets Guide", Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
External links
* [http://www.daveweb.co.uk/SloanCV.pdf Photographic Catalogue of Deep Sky Objects in Canes Venatici]
* [http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/canesvenatici/ The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Canes Venatici]
* [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/canesvenatici.htm Star Tales – Canes Venatici]
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