Magnitude 3.5 Apparent magnitude (V) 3.5 | Constellation Canis Major | |
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Kappa Canis Majoris (κ CMa, κ Canis Majoris) is a star in the constellation Canis Major. It is approximately 790 light years from Earth.
κ Canis Majoris is a blue-white B-type subgiant with a mean apparent magnitude of +3.50. This is a rapidly rotating Be star with 5.9 times the radius of the Sun. It is classified as a Gamma Cassiopeiae type variable star and its brightness varies from magnitude +3.4 to +3.97. It has become 50% brighter between 1963 and 1978, from magnitude 3.96 or so to 3.52.
Naming
In Chinese, 弧矢 (Hú Shǐ), meaning Bow and Arrow, refers to an asterism consisting of κ Canis Majoris, δ Canis Majoris, η Canis Majoris, HD 63032, HD 65456, ο Puppis, k Puppis, ε Canis Majoris and π Puppis. Consequently, κ Canis Majoris itself is known as 弧矢八 (Hú Shǐ bā, English: the Eighth Star of Bow and Arrow.)