5 Canum Venaticorum is a probable binary star[8] system in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici, located about 375 light years from the Sun.[1] It is visible to the naked eye as a faint, yellow-hued star with an apparent visual magnitude of +4.77.[2] The system is moving closer to the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of −14 km/s.[2]

The visible component is an evolved G-type giant star with a stellar classification of G7 III Ba0.3.[3] The 'Ba0.3' suffix notation indicates this is a mild barium star, which means that the stellar atmosphere has been enhanced by s-process elements most likely provided by what is now an orbiting white dwarf companion.[8] The primary is 530[2] million years old with 2.96[2] times the mass of the Sun and has expanded to about 12[5] times the Sun's radius. It is radiating 174[2] times the Sun's luminosity from its enlarged photosphere at an effective temperature of 5,098 K.[2]

In Chinese astronomy, 5 Canum Venaticorum is called 相, Pinyin: Xiāng, meaning Prime Minister, because this star is marking itself and stand alone in Prime Minister asterism, Purple Forbidden enclosure mansion (see : Chinese constellation).[9]

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