Cor Caroli

α Canum Venaticorum ( Alpha Canum Venaticorum, short α CVn ) is the brightest star in the constellation Canes Venatici (Latin Canes Venatici ). He is also known as Cor Caroli ( "Heart of Charles ", in honor of Charles II, King of England) known. α Canum Venaticorum is already with small telescopes ( lens opening from 5 centimeters) of separable double star.

The main star is the prototype of a class of variable stars, the so-called α2 - Canum - Venaticorum stars. α2 - Canum - Venaticorum star have a strong magnetic field, which generates sunspots comparable Starspots huge proportions. Due to these spots, their brightness changed more or less strongly in the course of the rotation. The brightness of the main star, α2 Canum Venaticorum varies between 2.84 and 2.94 like like with a period of 5.47 days. The spectral type of the primary star is A0. The " located at an angular distance of 19.3 at a position angle of 224 degrees companion star of spectral type F0 is much fainter. Its brightness is 5.6 mag. Α Canum Venaticorum is about 110 light-years away ( Hipparcos catalog).

The proper name Cor Caroli goes back to the historical constellation Cor Caroli, was in the α CVn the brightest star and completely as Cor Caroli Regis Martyris was called.

  • Hunting dog ( constellation )
  • Binary star
  • Individual Star third size
  • Variable star
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