Gamma Canis Majoris
A blue-white bright giant in Canis Major.
Gamma Canis Majoris is a blue-white star in the constellation Canis Major, faintly visible to the naked eye at magnitude +4.10. Its Bayer designation is notable because the star is relatively dim compared to other gamma-designated stars, possibly due to its location near Sirius and Mirzam. It lies about 430.18 light-years from Earth and is moving away at a velocity of +32 km/s.
Quick Facts
- Apparent magnitude
- +4.10
- Distance
- 430.18 ly
- Radial velocity
- +32 km/s
- Spectral type
- B8II
Facts from the source article.
Nomenclature
The Bayer designation γ Canis Majoris is Latinised to Gamma Canis Majoris, abbreviated Gamma CMa or γ CMa. Its traditional name Muliphein shares an Arabic root with Muhlifain, the name for Gamma Centauri. The International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Star Names approved Muliphein for this star on 21 August 2016, and it is listed in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.
Properties
Gamma Canis Majoris is a B-type bright giant with classification B8II, and it is a chemically peculiar mercury-manganese star with abnormal lines of mercury and magnesium. It shows spectral variability and rotates with a period of 6.2 days. The star has 4.2 times the Sun's mass and 6.1 times its radius, radiating 537 times the Sun's luminosity. It is suspected of being a spectroscopic binary, with a candidate companion at 0.332″ separation and position angle 114.8°, and it belongs to the Collinder 121 open cluster.
More in Stars of Canis Major
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