// Constellation
Cancer
“Crab”
- Latin name
- Cancer (Cnc)
- Best visibility
- evenings in March
- Fully visible between
- 90° N – 57° S
- Naked-eye stars
- 49
Cancer is highest in the evening sky (around 9 pm) in March. The whole constellation rises above the horizon between 90° N and 57° S. Its brightest star is Tarf at magnitude 3.53 — about 303 light-years away.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarf | β Cnc | 3.53 | 303 ly |
| Asellus Australis | δ Cnc | 3.94 | 131 ly |
| — | ι Cnc | 4.03 | 331 ly |
| Acubens | α Cnc | 4.26 | 188 ly |
| Asellus Borealis | γ Cnc | 4.66 | 181 ly |
| Tegmine | ζ² Cnc | 4.67 | 82 ly |
More constellations
Star data: HYG database. Constellation borders: IAU.