Beta Canis Majoris is a star in the southern constellation of Canis Major, the "Great Dog". Its name is a Bayer designation; it has the proper name Mirzam, pronounced . Visible to the naked eye, this is a variable star that ranges in apparent visual magnitude from 1.97 to 2.01 over a period of six hours. Based on parallax measurements, it is located at a distance of about 500 light-years (150 parsecs) from the Earth. The star is drifting further away from the Sun with a line of sight velocity of +34 km/s. In the modern constellation it lies at the position of the dog's front leg.

Closest relatives