Cancer (constellation)

Cancer (pronounced /ˈkænsɚ/) is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. The name is Latin for crab. Its symbol is (Unicode ♋). Cancer is small and the stars are dim. It is between Gemini to the west and Leo to the east, Lynx to the north and Canis Minor and Hydra to the south.

Cancer

Constellation
List of stars in Cancer
Abbreviation	Cnc
Genitive	Cancri
Right ascension	9
Declination	+20
Area	506 sq. deg. (31st)
Main stars	5
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	76
Stars with planets	1
Stars brighter than 3.00m	0
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	2
Brightest star	β Cnc (Altarf) (3.5m)
Messier objects	2
Meteor showers	Delta Cancrids
Bordering constellations	Lynx Gemini Canis Minor Hydra Leo Leo Minor (corner)
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −60°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of March.

Right in the middle of the constellation is M44, the Beehive Cluster, one of the nearest open clusters to Earth.

References

• Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, by Richard Hinckley Allen, Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-21079-7
• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4.
• Dictionary of Symbols, by Carl G. Liungman, W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-31236-2

Other websites

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Cancer
• Star Tales – Cancer