Wikipedia:Today's featured article/April 7, 2013

Canis Minor is a small constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included as an asterism, or pattern, of two stars in Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for "smaller dog" (1801 illustration shown) in contrast to Canis Major, the "larger dog". Canis Minor contains only two stars brighter than fourth magnitude, Procyon and Gomeisa. Procyon is the seventh-brightest star in the night sky, as well as one of the closest. A yellow-white main sequence star, it has a white dwarf companion. Gomeisa is a blue-white main sequence star. Luyten's Star is a ninth-magnitude red dwarf and the Solar System's next closest stellar neighbour in the constellation after Procyon. The fourth-magnitude HD 66141, which has evolved into an orange giant towards the end of its life cycle, was discovered to have a planet in 2012. There are two faint deep sky objects within the constellation's borders. The 11 Canis-Minorids are a meteor shower that can be seen in early December. (Full article...)

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