description Procyon B Overview
The white dwarf companion to Procyon A in Canis Minor, its existence inferred from Procyon's proper-motion wobble decades before it was visually confirmed in 1896.
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Procyon B ranks #53 of 217 in the Star ranking, behind Achernar, ahead of Pollux.
White dwarf inferred astrometrically before visual confirmation, important but less iconic than Sirius B.
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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