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Cancer



Abbreviation: Cnc
Genitive: Cancri
Right Ascension: 8.69 hours
Declination: 20.15 degrees
  Cancer, the Crab is visible in the Northern Hemisphere in the spring, and visible in the Southern Hemisphere in autumn.

There are several stories of this most inconspicious constellation. In early times, it was the crab crushed by Hercules when it pinched his toes in during a contest with Hydra.

The Other story is from the Chaldaean and Platonist philosophy, who thought that Cancer was The Gate of Man through which souls passed from heaven to earth and into human bodies.

  Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars
 

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)
 
Common Name
or Bayer Number 1 		RA DEC Magnitude 2
BET CNC 8.00:16.00:30.92 +9.00:11.00:7.90 3.52
ASELLUS AUSTRALIS 8.00:44.00:41.09 +18.00:9.00:15.45 3.94
IOT CNC 8.00:46.00:41.81 +28.00:45.00:35.68 4.02
ACUBENS 8.00:58.00:29.22 +11.00:51.00:27.79 4.25
ASELLUS BOREALIS 8.00:43.00:17.14 +21.00:28.00:6.52 4.66
CHI CNC 8.00:20.00:3.85 +27.00:13.00:3.64 5.14
XI CNC 9.00:9.00:21.53 +22.00:2.00:43.56 5.14
SIG3 CNC 8.00:59.00:32.64 +32.00:25.00:6.74 5.20
KAP CNC 9.00:7.00:44.81 +10.00:40.00:5.44 5.24
ETA CNC 8.00:32.00:42.48 +20.00:26.00:28.15 5.33
1 CNC 7.00:56.00:59.44 +15.00:47.00:24.89 5.78
OMG CNC 8.00:0.00:55.86 +25.00:23.00:34.08 5.83
20 CNC 8.00:23.00:21.82 +18.00:19.00:55.97 5.95
29 CNC 8.00:28.00:37.33 +14.00:12.00:38.91 5.96
   
 

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

M-44

 M-44 The Beehive Cluster. This bright open cluster is easily seen with the naked eye from a dark sky site. It is large, over a degree in diameter, and is best seen in binoculars or viewfinder. It is a somewhat loose cluster of about 50-100 stars, with several star chains and pairs seen.

M-67

 M-67 This large open cluster is one of the oldest clusters known, at an age of about 10 billion years. It is about one-half degree in diameter, and is composed of well over 100 stars, although many of them are moderately faint. It is well detached from the background, and is moderately concentrated to the center.
   
 

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)
  Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.
 
Object R.A. Dec. Object Type 3 Mag. Uranometria Tirion
NGC 2632 08 40.1 +19 59 OPNCL 03.1 141 12
NGC 2682 08 50.4 +11 49 OPNCL 06.9 187 12
   
 

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)
  Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude
 
GCVS ID R.A.
(hh mm ss.ss)		 Dec.
(deg mm ss)		 Variable Type 4 Mag. Min Mag. Max
X Cnc 8.00:52.00:34.00 +17.00:25.00:22.00 SRB 7.50 5.60
RS Cnc 9.00:7.00:37.70 +31.00:10.00:5.00 SRC: 7.70 6.20
VZ Cnc 8.00:38.00:10.00 +10.00:0.00:12.00 DSCT 7.91 7.18
BI Cnc 8.00:42.00:2.30 +10.00:15.00:50.00 ACV 5.71 5.58
BL Cnc 8.00:3.00:20.70 +22.00:46.00:48.00 LB 6.04 5.97
BM Cnc 8.00:10.00:3.10 +29.00:48.00:29.00 ACV 5.65 5.53
BN Cnc 8.00:37.00:47.60 +19.00:24.00:24.00 DSCTC 0.03 7.80
BO Cnc 8.00:49.00:28.40 +28.00:26.00:54.00 LB: 6.37 5.90
BP Cnc 8.00:23.00:58.10 +12.00:49.00:16.00 SRB 5.75 5.41
BT Cnc 8.00:36.00:50.40 +19.00:57.00:21.00 DSCTC 0.06 6.66
BU Cnc 8.00:36.00:52.90 +19.00:27.00:10.00 DSCTC 0.03 7.67
BX Cnc 8.00:39.00:14.80 +19.00:35.00:28.00 DSCTC 0.02 7.96
BY Cnc 8.00:39.00:19.60 +19.00:6.00:51.00 DSCTC 0.01 7.91
CX Cnc 8.00:25.00:39.10 +24.00:18.00:44.00 DSCTC 0.02 6.10
EP Cnc 8.00:38.00:4.40 +19.00:45.00:32.00 DSCTC 0.03 6.76
kap Cnc 9.00:5.00:2.40 +10.00:52.00:14.00 ACV: 5.27 5.22
   
 

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)
  Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude
 
Name R.A.
(hh mm.m)		 Dec.
(deg mm)		 Mag 5 Sep 6 PA 7 Tirion Uranometria
STF 1177 08 05.6 27 32 6.6, 7.5 3.50 350 6 101/ 140
STF 1187 08 09.5 32 13 7.1, 8.0 2.70 27 6 101
STF 1196 08 12.2 17 39 5.6, 6.3 5.30 79 12 140/141/185/186
STF 1196 08 12.2 17 39 6.0, 6.3 5.60 79 12 140/141/185/186
STF 1224 08 26.7 24 32 7.1, 7.6 5.70 49 6 141
STF 1223 08 26.7 26 56 6.3, 6.3 5.10 217 6 141
STF 1245 08 35.8 06 37 6.0, 7.2 10.30 25 12 186
S 571 08 39.9 19 32 6.9, 7.2 45.20 156 12 141
S 571 08 39.9 19 32 6.9, 6.7 92.90 241 12 141
39 CNC 08 40.2 20 00 6.5, 6.5 149.80 151 6/ 12 141
S 574 08 40.5 19 32 6.3, 7.4 134.90 249 12 141
STF 1268 08 46.7 28 46 4.2, 6.6 30.40 307 6 102/ 141/ 142
STF 1291 08 54.3 30 34 6.1, 6.6 1.40 316 6 102
STF 1298 09 01.4 32 15 5.9, 8.0 4.50 137 6 102/ 103
STF 1311 09 07.5 22 59 6.9, 7.3 7.60 200 6 142