Beta Canum Venaticorum

β Canum Venaticorum
Location of β Canum Venaticorum (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Canes Venatici
Right ascension 12h 33m 44.54425s
Declination +41° 21′ 26.9214″
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.25
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage main sequence
Spectral type G0 V
U−B color index 0.04
B−V color index 0.58
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+6.15±0.12 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −704.702 mas/yr
Dec.: +292.155 mas/yr
Parallax (π)118.0266±0.1530 mas
Distance27.63 ± 0.04 ly
(8.47 ± 0.01 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)4.64
Details
Mass0.91+0.05
−0.07 M☉
Radius1.02±0.02 R☉
Luminosity1.254±0.009 L☉
Surface gravity (log g)4.41±0.04 cgs
Temperature6,013±91 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.2±0.01 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)2.9±0.4 km/s
Age3.4 to 7.1 Gyr
Other designations
Chara, β CVn, 8 CVn, BD+42 2321, FK5 470, GJ 475, HD 109358, HIP 61317, HR 4785, SAO 44230, NGC 4530
Database references
SIMBADdata
ARICNSdata

Beta Canum Venaticorum, proper name Chara, is the second-brightest star in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. It is a nearby solar analog, located 27.6 light-years (8.5 parsecs) from the Sun based on its parallax. The star is faintly visible to the naked eye, at an apparent magnitude of +4.25. Along with the brighter star Cor Caroli, the pair form the "southern dog" in this constellation that represents hunting dogs.

Nomenclature

β Canum Venaticorum (Latinised to Beta Canum Venaticorum) is the star's Bayer designation, abbreviated Beta CVn or β CVn. It has the Flamsteed designation 8 Canum Venaticorum. The star was listed in the New General Catalogue as NGC 4530.

The traditional name Chara, pronounced /ˈkɛərə/, was originally applied to the "southern dog", but it later became used specifically to refer to Beta Canum Venaticorum. Chara (χαρά) means 'joy' in Greek but ‍‘dear’ ‍or ‍’beloved’ in Latin. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included Chara for this star.

In Chinese, 常陳 (Cháng Chén), meaning Imperial Guards, refers to an asterism consisting of Beta Canum Venaticorum, Alpha Canum Venaticorum, 10 Canum Venaticorum, 6 Canum Venaticorum, 2 Canum Venaticorum, and 67 Ursae Majoris. Consequently, the Chinese name for Beta Canum Venaticorum itself is 常陳四 (Cháng Chén sì, English: the Fourth Star of Imperial Guards.)

Characteristics

Beta CVn has a stellar classification of G0 V, and so is a G-type main-sequence star. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. The spectrum of this star shows a very weak emission line of singly ionized calcium (Ca II) from the chromosphere, making it a useful reference star for a reference spectrum to compare with other stars in a similar spectral category. (The Ca-II emission lines are readily accessible and can be used to measure the level of activity in a star's chromosphere.)

Beta CVn is considered to be slightly metal-poor, which means it has a somewhat lower portion of elements heavier than helium when compared to the Sun. In terms of mass, age and evolutionary status, however, this star is very similar to the Sun. As a result, it has been called a solar analog. It is about 3% less massive than the Sun, with a radius 3% larger than the Sun's and 25% greater luminosity.

The components of this star's space velocity are (U, V, W) = (–25, 0, +2) km/s. In the past it was suggested that it may be a spectroscopic binary. However, further analysis of the data does not seem to bear that out. In addition, a 2005 search for a brown dwarf in orbit around this star failed to discover any such companion, at least down to the sensitivity limit of the instrument used.

Habitability

In 2006, astronomer Margaret Turnbull labeled Beta CVn as the top stellar system candidate to search for extraterrestrial life forms. Because of its solar-type properties, astrobiologists have listed it among the most astrobiologically interesting stars within 10 parsecs of the Sun. However, as of 2009, this star is not known to host planets.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  2. 1 2 3 van Belle, Gerard T.; von Braun, Kaspar (April 2009). "Directly Determined Linear Radii and Effective Temperatures of Exoplanet Host Stars". The Astrophysical Journal. 694 (2): 1085–1098. arXiv:0901.1206. Bibcode:2009ApJ...694.1085V. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/694/2/1085. S2CID 18370219.
  3. ↑ Keenan, Philip C.; McNeil, Raymond C. (1989). "The Perkins catalog of revised MK types for the cooler stars". Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 71: 245. Bibcode:1989ApJS...71..245K. doi:10.1086/191373.
  4. 1 2 Argue, A. N. (1966). "UBV photometry of 550 F, G and K type stars". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 133 (4): 475–493. Bibcode:1966MNRAS.133..475A. doi:10.1093/mnras/133.4.475.
  5. 1 2 Holmberg, J.; et al. (July 2009). "The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the solar neighbourhood. III. Improved distances, ages, and kinematics". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 501 (3): 941–947. arXiv:0811.3982. Bibcode:2009A&A...501..941H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200811191. S2CID 118577511.
  6. ↑ Harada, Caleb K.; et al. (2024-06-01). "Setting the Stage for the Search for Life with the Habitable Worlds Observatory: Properties of 164 Promising Planet-survey Targets". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 272 (2): 30. arXiv:2401.03047. Bibcode:2024ApJS..272...30H. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ad3e81. ISSN 0067-0049.
  7. ↑ Baines, Ellyn K.; Clark, James H.; Kingsley, Bradley I.; Schmitt, Henrique R.; Stone, Jordan M. (2025-05-07). "Vintage NPOI: New and Updated Angular Diameters for 145 Stars". The Astronomical Journal. 169 (6): 293. arXiv:2506.02912. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/adc930. ISSN 1538-3881.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Soubiran, C.; et al. (2024-02-01). "Gaia FGK benchmark stars: Fundamental Teff and log g of the third version". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 682: A145. arXiv:2310.11302. Bibcode:2024A&A...682A.145S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202347136. ISSN 0004-6361. Beta Canum Venaticorum's database entry at VizieR.
  9. ↑ Herrero, E.; et al. (January 2012). "Optimizing exoplanet transit searches around low-mass stars with inclination constraints". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 537: A147. arXiv:1110.5840. Bibcode:2012A&A...537A.147H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201117809. S2CID 119299265.
  10. ↑ Llorente de Andrés, F.; et al. (October 2021). "The evolution of lithium in FGK dwarf stars. The lithium-rotation connection and the Li desert". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 654: A137. arXiv:2108.05852. Bibcode:2021A&A...654A.137L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202141339. ISSN 0004-6361.
  11. 1 2 "bet CVn". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  12. ↑ Seligman, Courtney. "New General Catalog Objects: NGC 4500 - 4549". Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  13. ↑ "NGC 4530". NGC/IC Project - VizieR.
  14. ↑ Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006). A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub. ISBN 978-1-931559-44-7.
  15. ↑ "IAU Catalog of Star Names". Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  16. ↑ Kaler, Jim. "Beta Canum Venaticorum". Stars. University of Illinois. Archived from the original on 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2006-12-06.
  17. ↑ Ridpath, Ian. "Canes Venatici". Star Tales online edition. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  18. ↑ "IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)". Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  19. ↑ "Bulletin of the IAU Working Group on Star Names, No. 1" (PDF). Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  20. ↑ (in Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
  21. ↑ (in Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表 Archived 2009-09-29 at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
  22. ↑ Garrison, R. F. (December 1993). "Anchor Points for the MK System of Spectral Classification". Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 25: 1319. Bibcode:1993AAS...183.1710G. Archived from the original on 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  23. ↑ Herbig, G. H. (1985). "Chromospheric H-alpha emission in F8-G3 dwarfs, and its connection with the T Tauri stars". Astrophysical Journal. 289 (1): 269–278. Bibcode:1985ApJ...289..269H. doi:10.1086/162887.
  24. 1 2 3 de Mello, G. P.; et al. (2006). "Astrobiologically Interesting Stars Within 10 Parsecs of the Sun". Astrobiology. 6 (2): 308–331. arXiv:astro-ph/0511180. Bibcode:2006AsBio...6..308P. doi:10.1089/ast.2006.6.308. PMID 16689649. S2CID 119459291.
  25. ↑ Baines, Ellyn K.; et al. (2017). "Fundamental parameters of 87 stars from the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer". The Astronomical Journal. 155 (1): 16. arXiv:1712.08109. Bibcode:2018AJ....155...30B. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa9d8b. S2CID 119427037.
  26. ↑ Morbey, C. L.; Griffin, R. F. (1987). "On the reality of certain spectroscopic orbits". Astrophysical Journal, Part 1. 317: 343–352. Bibcode:1987ApJ...317..343M. doi:10.1086/165281.
  27. ↑ Carson, J. C.; et al. (2006). "The Cornell High-Order Adaptive Optics Survey for Brown Dwarfs in Stellar Systems. I. Observations, Data Reduction, and Detection Analyses". The Astronomical Journal. 130 (3): 1212–1220. arXiv:astro-ph/0506287. Bibcode:2005AJ....130.1212C. doi:10.1086/432604. S2CID 8888863.
  28. ↑ "Stars searched for extraterrestrials". PhysOrg.com. 2006-02-19. Retrieved 2008-05-04.