Situated 110 light-years from our planet, Cor Caroli is a binary star system. It stands as the most luminous star in the Canes Venatici constellation, boasting an apparent magnitude of +2.89.
With the aid of a minor telescope, it's possible to separate this system into its two components, as depicted in this image.
The primary star within this system is a white star, having a mass three times that of our sun and shining with a brightness 100 times greater. The secondary star, on the other hand, is a yellow dwarf slightly exceeding the size and mass of our sun, with a diameter and mass respectively 1.4 and 1.5 times those of the sun.
The name Cor Caroli has a unique backstory, translating to "Heart of Charles." Despite its brightness, this star had no name in the Western world until the 17th century when Charles Scarborough, a physicist serving the British Crown, named it. This happened during the English Civil War following the assassination of King Charles I.
Eleven years later, the monarchy was reinstated by King Charles II, the son of Charles I. Scarborough observed that on the day of Charles II's return, a star in the Canes Venatici constellation was extraordinarily bright. Realizing it had no name, he decided to christen it Cor Caroli, in honor of the two kings.
Credit: S. Smith.
Written by Chatsonic
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