Cancer: Cancer is one of the twelve zodiac constellations, located in the Northern celestial hemisphere. Its name and symbol are derived from the Latin word for crab. It is a medium-sized constellation with faint stars and an area of 506 square degrees.
Brightest star: The brightest star in Cancer is Beta Cancri, also known as Altarf or Tarf. It is a binary star system consisting of an orange giant and a red dwarf, located 290 light-years from Earth. It has an apparent magnitude of 3.5 and represents a part of Cancer's body.
Other notable stars: Cancer contains several other stars of interest, such as Delta Cancri (Asellus Australis), Gamma Cancri (Asellus Borealis), Iota Cancri (a wide double star), Alpha Cancri (Acubens), and Zeta Cancri (Tegmine). Some of these stars have multiple components, planets, or special names.
Star systems with planets: Ten star systems in Cancer have been found to have planets, the most famous of which is 55 Cancri (Rho 1 Cancri or Copernicus), a binary star with five planets orbiting the primary star, one of which is in the habitable zone. Another star with planets is YBP 1194, a sunlike star in the open cluster M67.
Read about other constellations