Procyon: how to find it and when to see it
Procyon ranks 8th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 0.40, in the constellation Canis Minor.
You can see it from anywhere north of 85° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in March.
Procyon at a glance
- Constellation
- Canis Minor
- Magnitude
- 0.40
- Rank on our list
- 8 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Right ascension
- 7 h 39 min
- Declination
- 5.2° north
- Visible from
- north of 85° S
- Never sets
- north of 85° N
- Best evening
- March 2
- Name from
- Greek
Where Procyon is in the sky
Procyon sits 5.2° north of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the northern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 7 h 39 min.
Right ascension works like longitude on the sky. It's counted in hours, and about one hour of it turns past you each hour of the night.
When and where to see Procyon
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Procyon rises in the east, climbs to 55° above the horizon in the south and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from December to May, and it's highest in the evening around March 2, in spring.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Procyon rises in the east, climbs to 51° above the horizon in the north and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from January to May, and it's highest in the evening around March 2, in fall.
How high Procyon climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm during daylight saving time, and later when the sky is still too bright. A star counts as in the evening sky when it's at least 10° above the horizon.
| Latitude | Visibility | Highest point | Evening sky |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60° N | Rises and sets | 35° in the south | Dec to Apr |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 45° in the south | Dec to May |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 55° in the south | Dec to May |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 65° in the south | Dec to May |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 75° in the south | Dec to May |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 85° in the north | Dec to May |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 65° in the north | Dec to May |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 51° in the north | Jan to May |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 40° in the north | Jan to Apr |
What the name Procyon means
Procyon comes from the Greek prokyon, before the dog. Seen from the Mediterranean, it rises shortly before Sirius, the Dog Star.
Keep the sky of a night that matters
Our star maps show the stars above any place, at the minute you choose, with the constellation lines drawn in. If Procyon was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Procyon
Procyon is in Canis Minor. It sits 5.2° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 7 h 39 min.
Procyon is highest in the evening sky around March 2. That's spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 85° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 51° above the horizon in the north.
Procyon has a magnitude of 0.40, which ranks it 8th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 5.4 times brighter.
Procyon comes from the Greek prokyon, before the dog. Seen from the Mediterranean, it rises shortly before Sirius, the Dog Star.