Tags: Star.
Z Canis Majoris (Z CMa) is a B-type star in the constellation of Canis Major. It has an average apparent visual magnitude of approximately 9.85 though has brightened by 1-2 magnitudes in irregular outbursts in 1987 2000 2004 and 2008.The star is a complex binary system only 300000 years old with two main components separated by an estimated 100 astronomical units (AU) or 0.1 as seen from Earth.