# the Great Dog · Canis Major (CMa)

- Latin name: Canis Major
- Common name: the Great Dog
- Abbreviation: CMa
- Latin genitive: Canis Majoris
- Name pronunciation: CANE-iss (CAN-iss) MAY-jer
- Genitive pronunciation: CANE-iss (CAN-iss) muh-JOR-iss
- Sky region: South of the celestial equator
- Boundary declination range: -33.25° to -11.03°
- Chart reference: J2000
- Chart sections: 1

Charts show a fixed J2000 reference. What you can see depends on your location, the date and the time.

## Charts

This image was made with reference to IAU charts.

- [Canis Major · Light chart · SVG](https://constellations.wiki/media/styled/cma-light.svg)
- [Dark chart · SVG](https://constellations.wiki/media/styled/cma-dark.svg)
- [View IAU original](https://constellations.wiki/media/reference/iau/cma.gif)
- [Canis Major · PDF](https://constellations.wiki/downloads/pdf/cma.pdf)
- [Canis Major · GIF](https://constellations.wiki/media/original/cma.gif)
- [Canis Major · TXT](https://constellations.wiki/downloads/boundaries/cma.txt)

## How to read this chart

![Deep-sky legend](https://constellations.wiki/media/legends/legend-en.svg)

Dots mark stars, and their sizes indicate brightness. Stars appear dark on light charts and light on dark charts. Green lines show a constellation pattern. The surrounding grid gives right ascension and declination.

This is a fixed reference map, rather than a view of tonight’s sky.

- [Reading a star chart](https://constellations.wiki/en/guides/reading-star-charts/index.md)