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Beta (β) Canum Venaticorum

Chara
Yellow Solar Type Star

Right Ascension 12h 33m 45s Best Seen 3/1 - 8/15
Declination 41° 21' 25" Magnitude 4.25
Constellation Canes Venatici
Actual Compared to Sun
Distance ~30 ly --
Actual Brightness -- ~2
Surface Temperature ~ 6000 °K ~ 1.03
Diameter -- --
Mass -- --
Surface Gravity -- --
Surface Composition (by mass) 74% hydrogen
24% helium
2% everything else
same
Spectral Type G0 V G2 V
Density (gram/cubic cm) -- --

What To Look For Through The Telescope


  1. Recommended eyepiece: 24mm or 40 mm.

  2. When people look through the telescope they should see a faint star. It may appear to be a pale yellow.


Beta Canum Venaticorum Information:


  1. The star is also called Chara.

  2. Along with nearby brighter star Cor Caroli, the pair form the southern dog in this constallation that represents The Hunting Dogs

  3. It is the second brightest star in the constellation Canis Venatici, the Hunting Dogs, a constellation invented by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in about 1690.

  4. The name “Chara” is assigned both to this star and the “southern hound” of Canis Venatici.

  5. This star is very similar to our sun: about the same temperature, color, and size.

  6. Beta Canum Venaticorum may have a companion star. However, this companion cannot be seen with any telescope after years of looking.

  7. This star has less iron than our sun.

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References
Item Updated Notes
Coordinates 2003-09-05 SIMBAD says dec +41 21 27
Hipparcos says +41 21 24
Magnitude 2003-09-05 SIMBAD says 4.26,
Hipparcos 4.24
Distance 2003-09-05 SIMBAD/Hipparcos agree: parallax 119.46 mas
Actual Brightness --
Surface Temperature 2003-09-05 if G0 star, then 6000K
Diameter --
Mass --
Surface Gravity --
Surface Composition 2003-09-05 OK for all stars
Spectral Type 2003-09-05 SIMBAD/Hipparcos agree
Density --
Other Information 2003-11-26 other info from
http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/chara.html
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Canes_Venatici.html