Beta Ophiuchi is a K-type giant star

Star

A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...

 in the constellation

Constellation

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....

 Ophiuchus

Ophiuchus

Ophiuchus is a large constellation located around the celestial equator. Its name is from the Greek "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping the snake that is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century...

. It has the traditional names Cebalrai (Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

: كلب الراعي kalb al-rā‘ī '"shepherd dog"), Cheleb, or Kelb Alrai, or sometimes just Alrai. Like some other K-type giants, β Ophiuchi has been found to vary very slightly (0.02 magnitudes) in brightness.^,

Planetary system?

Radial velocity variations with a period of 142 days would hint the possible presence of a planetary companion orbiting Beta Ophiuchi. So far no planetary object has been confirmed; on the other hand pulsation bound to intrinsical variability could explain observed variations.

Namesakes

USS Cheleb (AK-138)

USS Cheleb (AK-138)

The USS Cheleb was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. It was the only ship of the Navy to have borne this name. It is named after Cheleb, a star in the northern hemisphere constellation of Ophiuchus.Cheleb was laid down 29 December 1943 as liberty...

 was a United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 Crater class cargo ship

Crater class cargo ship

Crater-class cargo ship is a category of freighter that was constructed for use by the United States Navy during World War II under Maritime Commission EC2-S-C1 type....

named after the star.