Epsilon Canis Majoris

Epsilon Canis Majoris (ε CMa, ε Canis Majoris) is the second brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation "epsilon" despite being the second brightest and not the fifth brightest star in its constellation. It has the traditional name Adhara (sometimes spelled Adara). The name is from the Arabic word عذارى ‘aðāra’, "virgins". It was once the brightest star in the sky, with an apparent magnitude of -3.99.

In Chinese, 弧矢 (Hú Shǐ), meaning Bow and Arrow, refers to an asterism consisting of ε Canis Majoris, δ Canis Majoris, η Canis Majoris, HD 63032, HD 65456, ο Puppis, k Puppis, κ Canis Majoris and π Puppis. Consequently, ε Canis Majoris itself is known as 弧矢七 (Hú Shǐ qī, English: the Seventh Star of Bow and Arrow.)

In the 17th century catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated Aoul al Adzari (أول ألعذاري - awwil al-aðārii), which was translated into Latin as Prima Virginum, meaning First of the Virgins. Along with δ CMa (Wezen), η CMa (Aludra) and ο² CMa (Thanih al Adzari), these stars were Al ʽAdhārā (ألعذاري), the Virgins.