The AsterNym star registry
Chara
Chara: the golden star of Canes Venatici
golden · Canes Venatici · β CVn
Chara is a golden star, warmer-toned than our Sun in the constellation Canes Venatici, one of the few thousand stars bright enough to carry an officially recognised name. On a dark, clear night you can find it with your own eyes.
Most stars in the sky are anonymous points of light. Chara is not — it has held a name across generations of sky-watchers, which makes it a rare thing to attach a name of your own to.
Real star · Personal dedication · Recorded in the AsterNym registry
See what a dedicated page looks like — preview
Chara at a glance
- Constellation
- Canes Venatici
- Other name
- β CVn
- Catalogue number
- HIP 61317
- Distance
- ≈ 28 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 4.24 naked-eye
- Star type
- G0V
- Colour
- golden
- Best seen from
- The Northern Hemisphere and lower southern latitudes
- Right ascension
- 12h 33m 45s
- Declination
- +41° 21′ 27″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Chara dedication represent?
Chara is especially meaningful for someone who:
- · Deserves something older than any gift shop
- · Marks a beginning, an anniversary or a promise
- · Is remembered every time you look up
- · Has a light you want recorded somewhere permanent
Dedication idea
“For the one I think of when I find Canes Venatici in the sky.”
Where can you see Chara?
It is easy to see from most of the Northern Hemisphere. It can also appear from lower southern latitudes, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 49°S.
Chara belongs to Canes Venatici.
Dedicate Chara to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Chara dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Chara's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Chara keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Chara
- Is Chara the brightest star?
- Chara shines at magnitude 4.24 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Chara?
- Chara is approximately 28 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 28 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Chara?
- Chara is part of Canes Venatici.
- Can everyone see Chara?
- It is easy to see from most of the Northern Hemisphere. It can also appear from lower southern latitudes, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 49°S.
- Is dedicating Chara an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Chara keeps its internationally recognised astronomical name. An AsterNym dedication records your personal name and message in the AsterNym registry without changing the star's scientific identity.