description Procyon B Overview
Procyon B is a white dwarf star and the fainter component of the Procyon binary system in the constellation Canis Minor. It orbits Procyon A, an F-type main-sequence star that is among the brightest stars in the night sky. The companion's existence was first inferred from irregularities in Procyon A's proper motion before being visually confirmed in 1896. At a distance of approximately 11.5 light-years, Procyon is one of the nearest star systems to the Sun.
Procyon B has an estimated mass comparable to that of the Sun compressed into a volume close to that of Earth.
help Procyon B FAQ
How was Procyon B discovered if it is hidden by Procyon A?
Astronomers first inferred an unseen companion from irregularities in Procyon's motion across the sky. John Martin Schaeberle visually detected Procyon B in 1896 using the Lick Observatory refractor.
What kind of star is Procyon B?
Procyon B is a white dwarf, the compact remnant left after a star exhausted its nuclear fuel and shed its outer layers. It contains substantial stellar mass in an object only roughly comparable to Earth in size.
Can Procyon B be seen with a backyard telescope?
It is an extremely difficult visual target because bright Procyon A overwhelms the much fainter companion at a small angular separation. Large aperture, excellent atmospheric seeing, and careful optical technique are normally required.
How does Procyon B compare with Sirius B?
Both are white dwarfs orbiting bright nearby stars and both were predicted from their primary stars' motions before being directly observed. Sirius B was visually discovered in 1862, more than three decades before Procyon B.
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