Canes Venatici are the two dogs—Chara and Asterion— accompanying Boötes, the Hunter, chasing the Great Bear around the North Pole.

The dogs are found in an isolated region of the skies, just south of the handle of the Big Dipper.

There is a lot to see in Canes Venatici: several spiral galaxies, some gorgeous double stars, and a superb variable.

To find Canes Venatici, with the naked eye start at Arcturus (alpha Boötis) -- the brightest star to the Spring night sky, just northeast of Spica (alpha Virginis). Draw a line from Arcturus to the closest star in the Dipper's bowl, gamma UMa. The brightest star along this line, at about the midpoint, is Cor Caroli -- alpha CVn.

Click on alpha CVn, beta, Y, M3, or M51.