The constellation researched in this paper is Canis Major, which is located in the southern celestial hemisphere.

In Greek mythology, Canis Major represented the dog Laelaps. Laelaps was a dog that was guaranteed to catch any creature it hunted. It is also paired with the nearby constellation, Canis Minor. The two constellations are supposed to represent hunting dogs, Canis Major being the leader of the two. The two dogs are said to be the hunting dogs of Orion, the famous mythological hero. Canis Major is also seen as the guard-dog of Orion. The Constellation is positioned in such a way that it looks as if it is chasing a hare, which is represented by the constellation Lepus.

The asterism in this constellation, is simply in the shape of a dog.

The brightest star in this constellation is the well-known Sirius. Sirius, also known as Alpha Canis Majoris or the Dog Star, is the brightest visible star in the southern hemisphere. It is a blue-white binary star, and it is much larger than the Sun, which earth orbits around. To be exact, Sirius is 25.4 times more luminous than the Sun, and its radius is 1.71 times that of the sun . Its surface temperature is 9,940 kelvins, and its distance away from our solar system is 8.6 light-years. The name "Sirius" comes from a Greek word that means "sparkling", or "scorching". In Egyptian culture, Sirius marks the flooding of the Nile The second brightest star in the constellation, Canis Major, is Adhara. It is also known by the name Epsilon Canis Major is. Its magnitude is 1.5, and it is the 22nd brightest star in the night sky. Adharas distance from our solar system is 431 light-years. If this star were the same distance from the solar system as Sirius is, it would be the brightest star in the sky. It is said that it would even shine brighter than the planet, Venus.

Sirius' coordinates in the night sky are RA = 06h 45m 08.9s, DEC = -16° 42' 58", and Adhara's coordinates are RA = 06h 58m 37.5s, Dec = -28° 58' 20".

In the constellation, there are many deep sky objects, including the bright star, Sirius. In the constellation, there is also the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy. The galaxy is small, irregular, and has a mass of about a billion solar masses. It is approximately 25,000 light-years away from the sun, and it is one of our galaxies closest neighbors. It has only recently been discovered, for it is barely visible behind the dusty Milky Way Galaxy. The gravitational pull of the Milky Way on the Dwarf Galaxy has caused tidal tails to wrap around the Milky Way. That gravitational process has caused what is known as the Monoceros ring to form around the Milky Way. The mass of the dwarf galaxy is only 1% of that of the Milky Ways, and its ultimate fate is to one day merge completely with the larger galaxy. Another object that resides within the borders of the constellation Canis Major, is the bright open star cluster, Messier 41. Its magnitude is approximately 4.5, and its distance from the earth is about 2,300 light-years away. This object lies about 4 Degrees south of Sirius, therefore it is quite easy to spot. The cluster is 25 light-years wide, and its age is thought to be around 190 to 240 million years. 100 members are encased in this cluster, including many red Giants, and some white dwarves. The brightest star is an orange giant that has a magnitude of 6.3.

Canis Major Galaxy (above), Messier 41 (below)

I went out to view my constellation, and it just so happened to be a fairly cloudy night. I could make out Sirius easily, but the rest of the constellation was not visible through the clouds. I also unfortunately have a street light right in front of my house that I have to block out in order to see any type of constellation. Light pollution is a major problem, though it is not as bad here as would be in a major city. I am able to see bright stars, such as Sirius, but the street lights that have been placed in my neighborhood prevent me from fainter stars.

GLOSSARY-

• Tidal tails: A tidal tail is a thin, elongated region of stars and interstellar gas that extends into space from a galaxy
• Magnitude: A unitless measure of the brightness of an object in a defined passband, often in the visible or infrared spectrum, but sometimes across all wavelengths.
• Binary Star: a system of two stars in which one star revolves around the other or both revolve around a common center.