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Canis Major

Most of the constellations are derived from Latin, Greek and Arabic phrases or words. There is one such constellation which is known and derived from various terms and is accordingly called or referred to by various names in different countries. It is Canis Major. Canis Major is a constellation in the southern hemisphere and represents one of the two dogs, one that follows Orion the hunter. It is derived from the Greek word ‘seirios’ which means ‘glowing or scorching’, from the Arabic word meaning ‘leader’, from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘deer hunter’, the Scandinavian countries call it ‘Lokabrenna’ meaning ‘Loki’s torch, the Japanese call it ‘Aoboshi’ which means ‘blue star’ and so on. It was catalogued in the 2nd century by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy and belongs to the Orion family of constellations. The constellation is best visible in the month of February at 9 pm.
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Canes Venatici

The sky is filled with comets, constellations, stars and many other celestial bodies. However, there is a constellation in the northern sky which is very small and is often overlooked. Though the stars that make up this constellation are dim, it consists of some of the finest objects in the sky that could be viewed through a telescope. The constellation is Canes Venatici. It is generally a Latin name for ‘hunting dogs’ and they are the dogs of the constellation Bootes the herdsman, with names Chara and Asterion. The constellation was charted/created by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the Ursa Major constellation as ‘informes’, meaning ‘unformed’. This constellation, after its creation was introduced in 1687 by Johannes Hevelius, another Polish astronomer. He introduced this constellation by creating a figure from the faint stars below the bear’s tail.
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Cancer

We are aware that the stars of the constellations act as a pavement for several celestial bodies that were discovered in the sky. The constellations of the Zodiac continue to stand as a tool for the astronomers and stargazers. However, Cancer is the dimmest of all the constellations of the Zodiac. In Latin, Cancer means ‘crab’ and has only two stars above the fourth magnitude. It is more like a faint upside down Y and hence, it becomes impossible to see it with the naked eye. It can be clearly visible in the month of March at 9 pm. It belongs to the Zodiac family of constellations and like many other constellations of the Zodiac, this constellation was documented by Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer in the 2nd century. Let us learn more about this constellation.
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