S Canis Minoris

S Canis Minoris is a variable star in the equatorial constellation Canis Minor. It has a peak apparent visual magnitude of 6.5, so not normally visible to the naked eye. The star is located at a distance of approximately 1,530 light-years from the Sun based on stellar parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of about +68 km/s.

This is an aging red giant star with a stellar classification of M7-8e, where the 'e' suffix indicates emission lines in the spectrum. It is a Mira-type long period variable that varies by an amplitude of 4.27 in visual magnitude over a period of $1.5$. Evidence has been found of asymmetry in this star, suggesting a non-spherical shape. Abundance-wise, it is an oxygen-rich giant and the emission feature is of the oxygen-rich silicate class as it sheds silicate dust from its atmosphere. The star is shedding mass at the rate of $68$·yr−1.