Canes Venatici is one of the 88 constellations designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). It is a small northern constellation that was created by Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century. Its name is Latin for 'hunting dogs', and the constellation is often depicted in illustrations as representing the dogs of Boötes the Herdsman, a neighboring constellation.
Canes Venatici can be seen in the orientation it appears to the eyes in this 1825 star chart from Urania's Mirror.
The constellation Canes Venatici as it is seen by the naked eye in twilight
Messier 51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope.
NGC 4248 is located about 24 million light-years away.
Johannes Hevelius was a councillor and mayor of Danzig (Gdańsk), in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. As an astronomer, he gained a reputation as "the founder of lunar topography", and described ten new constellations, seven of which are still used by astronomers.
Engraving of Hevelius's 46 m (150 ft) focal-length telescope
Peter Crüger's azimuthal quadrant, completed by Hevelius
Johannes Hevelius's tombstone in St Catherine's Church in Gdańsk
Monument to Jan Heweliusz in modern Gdańsk
