Star profile

6 Canum Venaticorum

3D likeness based on its real data · class G · ~5,500 K

What is 6 Canum Venaticorum

6 Canum Venaticorum shines in the Hunting Dogs, a late constellation invented by Hevelius in the 17th century to fill a gap beneath the Great Bear. At 261 light-years, this yellow G-type echoes the Sun but more mature, its light setting out when Europe was beginning to explore electricity. Quiet, modest, drawing no figure —yet there it is, holding the geometry of the sky's mythological hounds.

Where it is and when to see it

6 Canum Venaticorum lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is March, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it never sets and culminates about 78° up.
From New York it culminates about 88° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 17° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 51° S.

It ranks no. 10 in brightness among the 33 stars of Canes Venatici in our catalogue. To find it, start from Cor Caroli, the brightest: it lies about 6° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 260 years ago.

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Astronomical data for 6 Canum Venaticorum

Constellation: Canes Venatici
Apparent magnitude: 5.01
Distance: 261.6 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 186.462° · Dec 39.019°
Catalogue: HIP 60646 · HD 108225

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Other stars in Canes Venatici

Canes Venatici has 33 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 33 stars in Canes Venatici