Cancer

Also known as Cnc, Cancri, Cancer (constellation)

zodiac constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere

AI overview

Cancer is a constellation of stars located in the northern sky that has been recognized and named since ancient times. It matters to astronomers and stargazers because it serves as a reference point for mapping the night sky and is one of the traditional twelve constellations of the zodiac.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Official name: Cancer
Area: 506
Image: Cancer widefield 2025 02 08 123x240s bortle4 iso640.jpg

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Commons category: Cancer (constellation)
Commons gallery: Cancer (constellation)
short name: Cnc

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Article

Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac and is located in the northern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as one. Cancer is a medium-size constellation with an area of 506 square degrees and its stars are rather faint, its brightest star Beta Cancri having an apparent magnitude of 3.5. It contains ten stars with known planets, including 55 Cancri, which has five: one super-Earth and four gas giants, one of which is in the habitable zone and as such has expected temperatures similar to Earth. At the (angular) heart of this sector of our celestial sphere is Praesepe (Messier 44), one of the closest open clusters to Earth and a popular target for amateur astronomers.

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