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Cancer is a medium-size constellation and one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab, and it is commonly represented as one. Cancer's stars are rather faint, with its brightest star Beta Cancri having an apparent magnitude of 3.5. It contains two stars with known planets. Located at the center of the constellation is Praesepe (Messier 44), one of the closest open clusters to Earth and a popular target for amateur astronomers.
Cancer is shown here as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London in about 1825.Illustration: Sidney Hall; restoration: Adam Cuerden
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