Eta Canis Majoris (η CMa, η Canis Majoris) is a star in the constellation Canis Major. It has the traditional name Aludra. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.
The name Aludra originates from the Arabic: عذرا al-‘aðrā "the virgin". This star, along with ε CMa (Adhara), δ CMa (Wezen) and ο2 CMa (Thanih al Adzari), were Al ʽAdhārā (ألعذاري), the Virgins.
In Chinese, 弧矢 (Hú Shǐ), meaning Bow and Arrow, refers to an asterism consisting of η Canis Majoris, δ Canis Majoris, HD 63032, HD 65456, ο Puppis, k Puppis, ε Canis Majoris, κ Canis Majoris and π Puppis. Consequently, δ Canis Majoris itself is known as 弧矢二 (Hú Shǐ èr, English: the Second Star of Bow and Arrow.)
Read more about Eta Canis Majoris: Properties, Namesakes