Star profile
Mu Canis Majoris
Hot blue starWhat is Mu Canis Majoris
Mu Canis Majoris is a double system whose primary is an orange giant that can be split from its companion with a small telescope. About 1,245 light-years away, it sits to the southwest of the midpoint between Gamma and Theta in the Great Dog, on the border where the richest part of the winter sky begins to fade into the deeper stellar wilderness.
Where it is and when to see it
Mu Canis Majoris lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is January, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 24° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 35° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 70° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 76° N.
It ranks no. 30 in brightness among the 90 stars of Canis Major in our catalogue. To find it, start from Sirius, the brightest: it lies about 4° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 1,200 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Mu Canis Majoris
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Mu Canis Majoris
- Constellation
- Canis Major
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.00
- Distance
- 1245.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 104.028° · Dec -14.043°
- Catalogue
- HIP 33345 · HD 51250
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Canis Major
Canis Major has 90 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- SiriusAlpha Canis Majoris-1.44
- AdharaEpsilon Canis Majoris1.50
- WezenDelta Canis Majoris1.83
- 29 Canis Majoris4.88
- HIP 357274.94
- HIP 297355.00
- HIP 298955.15
- HIP 310845.16