Star profile

6 Canis Minoris

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is 6 Canis Minoris

6 Canis Minoris holds a discreet place in the Lesser Dog, the compact constellation tucked beside Procyon. It is an orange giant 572 light-years away —a star that has crossed the threshold of stellar middle age and now burns redder, broader, and calmer than the Sun. Its muted glow contrasts with Procyon's piercing white nearby: two ways of growing old as a star, visible in a single glance.

Where it is and when to see it

6 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, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 51° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 61° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 44° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 78° S.

It ranks no. 5 in brightness among the 25 stars of Canis Minor in our catalogue. To find it, start from Procyon, the brightest: it lies about 7° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 570 years ago.

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Astronomical data for 6 Canis Minoris

Constellation: Canis Minor
Apparent magnitude: 4.55
Distance: 572.3 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 112.449° · Dec 12.007°
Catalogue: HIP 36425 · HD 59294

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Other stars in Canis Minor

Canis Minor has 25 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 25 stars in Canis Minor