Cancer (constellation)
| Constellation | |
|
|
| Abbreviation | Cnc |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Cancri |
| Pronunciation |
/ˈkænsər/, genitive /ˈkæŋkraɪ/ |
| Symbolism | the Crab |
| Right ascension | 07h 55m 19.7973s–09h 22m 35.0364s |
| Declination | 33.1415138°–6.4700689° |
| Family | Zodiac |
| Area | 506 sq. deg. (31st) |
| Main stars | 5 |
|
Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
76 |
| Stars with planets | 10 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 0 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | β Cnc (Altarf) (3.53m) |
| Nearest star |
DX Cnc (11.84 ly, 3.63 pc) |
| 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. |
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Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as one. Its astrological symbol is 
(Unicode ♋). Cancer is a medium-size constellation with an area of 506 square degrees and its stars are rather faint, its brightest star Beta Cancri having an apparent magnitude of 3.5. It contains two stars with known planets, including 55 Cancri, which has five: one super-earth and four gas giants, one of which is in the habitable zone and as such has expected temperatures similar to Earth. Located at the center of the constellation is Praesepe (Messier 44), one of the closest open clusters to Earth and a popular target for amateur astronomers.
Cancer is a medium-sized constellation that is bordered by Gemini to the west, Lynx to the north, Leo Minor to the northeast, Leo to the east, Hydra to the south, and Canis Minor to the southwest. The three-letter abbreviation for the constellation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is 'Cnc'. The official constellation boundaries, as set by Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 10 sides (illustrated in infobox). In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 07h 55m 19.7973s and 09h 22m 35.0364s, while the declination coordinates are between 33.1415138° and 6.4700689°. Covering 506 square degrees or 0.921% of the sky, it ranks 31st of the 88 constellations in size. It can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -60° and is best visible at 9 p.m. during the month of March.
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