Fact sheet
- Latin name
- Cancer (Cnc)
- Brightest star
- Tarf (β Cnc)
- Relative brightness
- 3.50 mag
- Hipparcos catalogue
- HIP 40526
- Area
- 506 deg² (rank: 31 out of 88)
- Right ascension
- 7h 55m 20s to 9h 22m 35s
- Declination
- +6° 28' 12'' to +33° 08' 29''
- Neighbouring constellations
- Lynx, Gemini, Canis Minor, Hydra, Leo
Visibility
The constellation Cancer
Cancer is a constellation of the northern hemisphere. It lies on the ecliptic and is therefore one of the zodiac constellations. The ecliptic is the apparent path of the sun over the course of a year. During this time, the sun passes through all the zodiac constellations. From 20 July to 10 August, the sun is in the constellation Cancer. During this time, the constellation cannot be observed because it is in the daytime sky. The northern tropic, the Tropic of Cancer, is named after Cancer: in antiquity the sun stood in this constellation at the summer solstice; today it is then in Taurus.
The star cluster M 44, which lies exactly in the middle of the constellation, can be seen in the night sky with the naked eye. Beginners in particular can practise here how to locate an object in the sky. The star cluster contains several hundred stars, which together cover three times the diameter of the moon. Its Latin name is Praesepe (manger). The names of its two neighbouring stars, Asellus Borealis (γ Cnc) and Asellus Australis (δ Cnc), mean the northern and the southern donkey. They border the star cluster.
Mythology
According to a Greek legend, two donkeys once carried Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility, into the battle of the gods against the Giants. The Giants had never heard such sounds before and were so frightened that they fled. In gratitude, the two donkeys were placed in the sky as the stars Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis. However, the Greek myth about the hero Hercules, a son of Zeus, became the accepted one. One day, Hercules found himself in the dangerous situation of having to fight the Hydra, a many-headed, snake-like monster. For every head he cut off, two new ones grew. Hera, the wife of Zeus, saw her chance to get rid of her husband's illegitimate son and sent a giant crab to make his situation even worse. But Hercules managed to crush the crab and defeat the monster. Hera is then said to have placed the crab in the sky out of gratitude for its heroic effort.
Astrological significance
People born between 22 June and 22 July are born under the zodiac sign Cancer. They are family-oriented, sensitive and loyal. They always stand up for their loved ones. However, they also expect the same devotion from the other person, because for them it is a matter of course. This can lead to great disappointments in their lives. Once the sensitive Cancer has been treated unfairly, it is difficult to calm them down again.
