The word Procyon is Greek for Before the Dog, for the reason that in the Northern Hemisphere, Procyon announces the rise of Sirius, the Dog Star.

Procyon is a yellow-white main sequence star, twice the size and 7 times more luminous than the Sun. With the exception of Alpha Centauri, it is the least intrinsically luminous star on this list. Like Alpha Centauri it appears so bright only because at 11.4 light-years, it is relatively close.

Procyon is an example of a main sequence "subgiant" star, one that is beginning the death process by converting its remaining core hydrogen into helium. Procyon is currently twice the diameter of the Sun, one of the largest stars within 20 light-years.

Canis Major can be found relatively easy east of Orion during Northern Hemisphere winter months. Procyon, along with Sirius and Betelgeuse, form the Winter Triangle asterism.

Procyon is orbited by a white dwarf companion detected visually in 1896 by John M. Schaeberle. The fainter companion's existence was first noted in 1840, however, by Arthur von Auswers who observed irregularities in Procyon's proper motion best explained by a massive albeit faint companion.