Star profile
Gamma Canis Minoris
What is Gamma Canis Minoris
Gamma Canis Minoris is the third brightest star of Canis Minor, the small canine companion of Orion that holds barely two outstanding lights. It is an orange K-type giant whose light has been crossing space for more than 318 years. Its warm hue sets it apart from the intense white of Procyon, its famous neighbour, and makes it a chromatic counterpoint for anyone observing this tiny winter constellation.
Where it is and when to see it
Gamma Canis Minoris lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is January: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.
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The signature wall
Stelvia's sky works like a signature wall: anyone can leave their name and a message on a real star, and that signature goes up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
A signature without a lock can be replaced by someone else's. The lock makes the signature permanent and lets you choose a symbolic name for the star, always shown next to the star's catalogue identifier. How the lock works
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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 Gamma Canis Minoris
- Constellation
- Canis Minor
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.33
- Distance
- 318.2 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 112.041° · Dec 8.926°
- Catalogue
- HIP 36284 · HD 58972
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 Minor
Canis Minor has 25 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- ProcyonAlpha Canis Minoris0.40
- GomeisaBeta Canis Minoris2.89
- HIP 393114.39
- 6 Canis Minoris4.55
- Epsilon Canis Minoris4.99
- Zeta Canis Minoris5.12
- Eta Canis Minoris5.22
- Delta 1 Canis Minoris5.24