Cor Caroli

Cor Caroli (α CVn, α Canum Venaticorum, Alpha Canum Venaticorum, originally known by the more elaborate Cor Caroli Regis Martyris) is the brightest star in the northern constellation Canes Venatici. The name Cor Caroli means Charles' heart, and was named by Sir Charles Scarborough in honour of Charles I, who was executed in the aftermath of the English Civil War, and otherwise associated to Charles II of England, his son, who was restored to the throne after the interregnum following his father's death.

In Chinese, 常陳 (Cháng Chén), meaning Imperial Guards, refers to an asterism consisting of α Canum Venaticorum, 10 Canum Venaticorum, β Canum Venaticorum, 6 Canum Venaticorum, 2 Canum Venaticorum, 67 Ursae Majoris. Consequently, α Canum Venaticorum itself is known as 常陳一 (Cháng Chén yī, English: the First Star of Imperial Guards.) From this Chinese name, the name Chang Chen was appeared.

Cor Caroli is a binary star with a combined apparent magnitude of 2.81. The two stars are 19.6 arcseconds apart in the sky and are easily resolved in small telescopes. The system lies approximately 110 light years from Earth. The brighter of the two stars is designated α² Canum Venaticorum, the fainter α¹ Canum Venaticorum.

Cor Caroli marks the northern vertex of the Diamond of Virgo asterism.