How to find Canis Major
Orion's hunting dog, marked by Sirius — the most brilliant star in the whole night sky.
Sirius — the brightest star in the entire night sky.
Canis Major follows Orion across the winter sky and contains Sirius, the brightest star we ever see at night. Sirius is so bright partly because it's intrinsically luminous and partly because it's one of our closest stellar neighbours.
Although it's a southern constellation, it's well seen from mid-northern latitudes on winter evenings, low in the south.
Sirius, the Dog Star
Sirius is unmistakable — a brilliant white star that often flashes through rainbow colours when it's low, as its light is split by turbulence in the atmosphere. That twinkling is a sign of the 'seeing', the steadiness of the air.
The rest of the dog's body spreads below Sirius and benefits from a darker, lower southern horizon.
How to find it
- Follow Orion's Belt down and to the left to the brightest star in the sky — Sirius
- Sirius marks the dog's neck or chest; the body extends below it
- Best on winter evenings with a clear southern horizon
Deep-sky highlights
- Open cluster M41 — a bright cluster just below Sirius, fine in binoculars
Stella shows exactly when Canis Major is highest from your location tonight — and whether the sky is worth it.
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