The brilliant beacons of the winter night sky beat a hasty retreat asthe long evenings of May draw to a close. Orion is already hip-deepinto the murk and the deepening sky sees Sirius dancing a frenetic tattoo close to the southwestern horizon. The gentle springtime starsemerge as the skyOs dome darkens. No brilliant light pierces the nightsky. Leo is majestic, but staid. Virgo shines demurely to the southeast. Only Arcturus lends some sparkle to the night. But looks can be deceiving. The splendour of the spring skies lies in the space between the sprinkling of stars. For here we are looking up out of the plane of our home galaxy. No dusty stellar nurseries dim the view to the outer reaches of the universe where galaxies by the handful are strewn on the fabric of space. Exploring the realm of galaxies in Virgo or Coma Berenices can be a daunting task even for a seasoned observer, but there are gems enough to satisfy anyone in the constellation of Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs.

This little constellation, invented by Johannes Hevelius in the seventeenth century and plunked down in an unoccupied patch of heavenly real estate between Bootes, Ursa Major and Coma Berenices, contains several stunning galaxies and a globular cluster nearly on par with the great globular in Hercules. The first galaxy is located just a couple of degrees southwest of Alkaid, the star at the handle end of the Big Dipper asterism. Bright enough to be easily visible in binoculars, Messier 51, a.k.a. the Whirlpool, lives up to its nickname when viewed through almost any backyard scope. Larger scopes show a jewel-studded and delicately curved arm of the major galaxy bridging the gap to the smaller companion.

The next object, M63 or Sunflower galaxy, is also visible in binoculars and is located about two thirds of the way along a line joining Alkaid to Cor Caroli. A distinctly lenticular shape can be discerned through medium sized scopes, but this spiral earns its alias only through big light buckets or long-exposure photographs.

Messier 94 is another moderately bright galaxy located three degrees north and slightly east of Cor Caroli. You have to work hard to see this galaxy through binoculars, but your patience will be well rewarded. The final Messier galaxy in this constellation lies a bit off the beaten path. First locate the star Megrez, or gamma UMa, in the bowl of the Big Dipper. Go south about 6 degrees to the fourth magnitude star chi UMa. M106 lies about 5 degrees due east of this star. Once you know where to look the galaxy is easily visible in binoculars.

The last galaxy on this little tour is the spectacular edge-on spiral NGC4631. This galaxy is located six degrees south and slightly west of Cor Caroli, on the extension of a line between Alkaid and this star.There was just a hint of Osomething thereO in 10x50 binoculars on one of two nights that I searched for this galaxy. It could have been no more than wishful thinking. But this galaxy is indeed a sight to see in eight-inch or larger scopes. These scopes should also show the OHockey StickO galaxy, NGC 4656 in the same field. There are a couple of dozen other NGC galaxies within the borders of Canes Venatici accessible through medium sized scopes. Before heading into the heartbreaking galactic mazes of Coma or Virgo, you can hone your skills in this Johnny-come-lately constellation. The final deep-sky target is the gorgeous globular cluster M3, which is bright enough to be visible with the naked eye from a very dark site.This globular, located about halfway along a line joining Cor Caroli and Arcturus, is an unmistakable fluff ball in binoculars. A three-inchscope will start to resolve stars at the edge of the cluster and the view through a ten-inch will take your breath away.

The Hunting Dogs, invented as they were, may have a rather dubious pedigree, but their names, Chara and Asterion, have the requisite patina of antiquity. The bold mastiff Canis Major has sunk below the horizon, but his playful little companion Canis Minor can still be seen in the west on these late spring nights. So while many people have put away their duvets until next winter, astronomers, at least, can still experience a three dog night.