Beta Canis Majoris
Encyclopedia
Beta Canis Majoris (β CMa, β Canis Majoris) is a star in the constellation
of Canis Major
. It has the traditional name Murzim, Al-Murzim or Mirzam.
Murzim is a variable magnitude
blue-white giant star
. The brightness of Murzim varies between 1.95 and +2.00 in a six-hour period. It is a Beta Cephei variable
star. It is currently in the final stages of using hydrogen
gas for fuel and will eventually exhaust its supply and begin using helium
for fuel instead.
Beta Canis Majoris is located near the far end of the Local Bubble
, a cavity in the local interstellar medium
through which the Sun
is traveling.
The traditional non-religious name in Arabic is
(مرزم) for 'The Herald', and probably refers to its position, heralding Sirius
in the night sky (i.e., rising before it).
In Chinese
, , meaning Market for Soldiers
, refers to an asterism consisting of β Canis Majoris, ν3 Canis Majoris
, 15 Canis Majoris
, π Canis Majoris
, ο1 Canis Majoris and ξ1 Canis Majoris
. Consequently, β Canis Majoris itself is known as . From this Chinese name, the name Kuen She arose.
was a United States Navy
Crater class cargo ship
named after the star.
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
of Canis Major
Canis Major
Canis Major is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was included in the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy's 48 constellations. Its name is Latin for 'greater dog', and is commonly represented as one of the dogs following Orion the hunter...
. It has the traditional name Murzim, Al-Murzim or Mirzam.
Murzim is a variable magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
blue-white giant star
Giant star
A giant star is a star with substantially larger radius and luminosity than a main sequence star of the same surface temperature. Typically, giant stars have radii between 10 and 100 solar radii and luminosities between 10 and 1,000 times that of the Sun. Stars still more luminous than giants are...
. The brightness of Murzim varies between 1.95 and +2.00 in a six-hour period. It is a Beta Cephei variable
Beta Cephei variable
Beta Cephei variables are variable stars which exhibit variations in their brightness due to pulsations of the stars' surfaces. The point of maximum brightness roughly corresponds to the maximum contraction of the star. Typically, Beta Cephei variables change in brightness by 0.01 to 0.3...
star. It is currently in the final stages of using hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
gas for fuel and will eventually exhaust its supply and begin using helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
for fuel instead.
Beta Canis Majoris is located near the far end of the Local Bubble
Local Bubble
The Local Bubble is a cavity in the interstellar medium of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. It is at least 300 light years across and has a neutral hydrogen density of about 0.05 atoms per cubic centimetre, or approximately one tenth of the average for the ISM in the Milky Way , and half that for...
, a cavity in the local interstellar medium
Interstellar medium
In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space...
through which the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
is traveling.
The traditional non-religious name in Arabic is
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
(مرزم) for 'The Herald', and probably refers to its position, heralding Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
in the night sky (i.e., rising before it).
In Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, , meaning Market for Soldiers
Well (Chinese constellation)
The Well mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...
, refers to an asterism consisting of β Canis Majoris, ν3 Canis Majoris
Nu3 Canis Majoris
Nu3 Canis Majoris is a binary star in the constellation Canis Major. It is approximately 464 light years from Earth....
, 15 Canis Majoris
15 Canis Majoris
15 Canis Majoris is a star in the constellation Canis Major.15 Canis Majoris is a blue-white B-type subgiant with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.82. It is approximately 1615 light years from Earth. It is classified as a Beta Cephei type variable star and its brightness varies from magnitude...
, π Canis Majoris
Pi Canis Majoris
Pi Canis Majoris is a star in the constellation Canis Major.π Canis Majoris A is a yellow-white F-type subgiant with an apparent magnitude of +4.66. It is approximately 95.3 light years from Earth....
, ο1 Canis Majoris and ξ1 Canis Majoris
Xi1 Canis Majoris
Xi1 Canis Majoris is a star in the constellation Canis Major. It is approximately 2051 light years from Earth.ξ1 Canis Majoris is a blue-white B-type subgiant with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.34. It is classified as a Beta Cephei type variable star and its brightness varies from magnitude...
. Consequently, β Canis Majoris itself is known as . From this Chinese name, the name Kuen She arose.
Namesakes
USS Murzim (AK-95)USS Murzim (AK-95)
The USS Murzim was an ammo station ship working in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, named after Murzim, the star in constellation Canis Major...
was a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Crater class cargo ship
Crater class cargo ship
Crater-class cargo ship is a category of freighter that was constructed for use by the United States Navy during World War II under Maritime Commission EC2-S-C1 type....
named after the star.