Beta Canum Venaticorum (β CVn, β Canum Venaticorum) is the Bayer designation for a G-type main sequence star in the northern constellation Canes Venatici. At an apparent visual magnitude of 4.26, it is the second-brightest star in this relatively faint constellation. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 118.49 mas, this star is 27.53 light-years (8.44 parsecs) distant from the Earth.
Along with the brighter star Cor Caroli, the pair form the "southern dog" in this constellation that represents hunting dogs. The name Chara was originally applied to the "southern dog", but it later became used specifically to refer to Beta Canum Venaticorum. Chara (χαρά) means Joy in Greek.
In Chinese, 常陳 (Cháng Chén), meaning Imperial Guards, refers to an asterism consisting of β Canum Venaticorum, α Canum Venaticorum, 10 Canum Venaticorum, 6 Canum Venaticorum, 2 Canum Venaticorum, and 67 Ursae Majoris. Consequently, β Canum Venaticorum itself is known as 常陳四 (Cháng Chén sì, English: the Fourth Star of Imperial Guards.)
Read more about Beta Canum Venaticorum: Observations, Possibility of Life, Chara and Asterion in Military