Canis Minor is a small constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included as an asterism, or pattern, of two stars in Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for "smaller dog" (1801 illustration shown) in contrast to Canis Major, the "larger dog". Canis Minor contains only two stars brighter than fourth magnitude, Procyon and Gomeisa. Procyon is the seventh-brightest star in the night sky, as well as one of the closest. A yellow-white main sequence star, it has a white dwarf companion. Gomeisa is a blue-white main sequence star. Luyten's Star is a ninth-magnitude red dwarf and the Solar System's next closest stellar neighbour in the constellation after Procyon. The fourth-magnitude HD 66141, which has evolved into an orange giant towards the end of its life cycle, was discovered to have a planet in 2012. Known as Thor's Helmet or the Duck Nebula, NGC 2359 is a tenth- magnitude nebula surrounding a Wolf-Rayet star. There are two faint deep sky objects within the constellation's borders. The 11 Canis-Minorids are a meteor shower that can be seen in early December.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canis_Minor

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1788:

American pioneers established the town of Marietta (in modern Ohio), the first permanent American settlement outside the original Thirteen Colonies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pioneers_to_the_Northwest_Territory

1862:

American Civil War: Union forces defeated Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh, the bloodiest battle in U.S. history at the time, in Hardin County, Tennessee. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shiloh

1948:

The United Nations established the World Health Organization to act as a coordinating authority on international public health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization

1955:

Aware that he was slowing down both physically and mentally in his old age, Winston Churchill retired as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill

2010 - Thousands rioted in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek resulting in the collapse of the Kurmanbek Bakiyev government. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyz_Revolution_of_2010

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

lollapalooza: (informal) An outstanding, extreme, or outrageous example of its kind. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lollapalooza

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I call that mind free, which jealously guards its intellectual rights and powers, which calls no man master, which does not content itself with a passive or hereditary faith, which opens itself to light whencesoever it may come, which receives new truth as an angel from heaven.   --William Ellery Channing https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Ellery_Channing