Y CVn is a carbon star in the same field as beta CVn: binoculars. The star is 710 light years away.

There will be no doubt when you've spotted Y CVn; its vivid shade of red has inspired its name -- ‘La Superba’.

The colour is caused by an over-supply of carbon. Carbon stars are in the latter stages of evolution, and are rapidly losing their mass.

The visual magnitude of Y CVn varies from around 7.5 to about 10. (Burnham gives a maximum of 4.8 but this is quite optimistic. Don't wait for it to be naked eye before you enjoy it.). Therefore at its dimmest it will be quite difficult to find in binoculars while at its brightest it is a tiny point of brilliant red, an unforgettable sight.

The star is classified a ‘semi-regular’ which means its period isn't consistent. However, while once thought to be around 160 days, its period has been recently updated to 251 days. So if the star eludes your binocular search, keep trying. It's a real gem.