Boötes, the Herdsman, is a kite-shaped constellation of the northern spring and summer sky, anchored by Arcturus, the brightest star north of the celestial equator.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 12 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Arcturus, 36.7 light-years (11.3 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Nekkar, 225 light-years (69.1 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 6.1 × farther than the nearest |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Bootes
Boötes is an ancient Greek constellation, a herdsman or ploughman who follows the Great Bear around the pole. Its stars form a long kite with Arcturus at the tail. Arcturus is an orange giant, old and swollen, moving fast across the sky compared with most bright stars. The old rhyme says to follow the arc of the Plough’s handle to find it.
Izar, in the herdsman’s waist, is a beautiful double, an orange star with a fainter blue-looking companion, for a telescope. Nekkar marks the head, near the Plough’s handle. The Quadrantid meteors are named after a defunct constellation that once lay on this figure’s border. Boötes is best seen on northern spring and summer evenings.
What you see in the piece
Flown out to, Arcturus is the nearest star of the figure by far and Nekkar lies several times deeper, so the kite folds into depth instead of lying flat.
Questions
How do you find Arcturus?
Follow the curve of the Plough’s handle away from the bowl: the arc leads to Arcturus, the bright orange star of Boötes.
How far away are the stars of Boötes?
They range from Arcturus, 36.7 light-years (11.3 pc), to Nekkar, 225 light-years (69.1 pc): the farthest is 6.1 × farther than the nearest.