ell ations ▁in ▁size . ▁It ▁appears ▁prom in ently ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁sky ▁during ▁the ▁Northern ▁Hem is phere ' s ▁winter . ▁The ▁const ell ation ▁boundaries , ▁as ▁set ▁by ▁Eug ène ▁Del porte ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁are ▁defined ▁by ▁a ▁polygon ▁of ▁ 1 4 ▁sides . ▁In ▁the ▁equ atorial ▁coordinate ▁system , ▁the ▁right ▁asc ension ▁coordinates ▁of ▁these ▁borders ▁lie ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁, ▁while ▁the ▁decl ination ▁coordinates ▁are ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁. ▁Most ▁visible ▁in ▁the ▁evening ▁sky ▁from ▁January ▁to ▁March , ▁Can is ▁Minor ▁is ▁most ▁prominent ▁at ▁ 1 0 ▁PM ▁during ▁mid - F ebru ary . ▁It ▁is ▁then ▁seen ▁earlier ▁in ▁the ▁evening ▁until ▁July , ▁when ▁it ▁is ▁only ▁visible ▁after ▁sun set ▁before ▁setting ▁itself , ▁and ▁rising ▁in ▁the ▁morning ▁sky ▁before ▁dawn . ▁The ▁const ell ation ' s ▁three - letter ▁abbre viation , ▁as ▁adopted ▁by ▁the ▁International ▁Astronom ical ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁is ▁" CM i ". ▁ ▁Fe atures ▁ ▁Stars ▁▁ ▁Can is ▁Minor ▁contains ▁only ▁two ▁stars ▁br ighter ▁than ▁fourth ▁magnitude . ▁At ▁magnitude ▁ 0 . 3 4 , ▁Pro cy on , ▁or ▁Al pha ▁Can is ▁Minor is , ▁is ▁the ▁sevent h - br ight est ▁star ▁in ▁the ▁night ▁sky , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁closest . ▁Its ▁name ▁means ▁" before ▁the ▁dog " ▁or ▁" pre ced ing ▁the