Boötes constellation
Latin Boötes, genitive Boötis, abbreviation Boo
North up, east to the left, as you see the sky. The lines are a common figure; the stars are from the catalogue.
The myth
The Herdsman, driving the Great Bear around the celestial pole. Follow the curve of the Big Dipper's handle and you arrive at Arcturus, the brightest star of the northern sky, orange and about 37 light years away. 'Arc to Arcturus' is the first thing stargazers learn.
When can Boötes be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in May. It can be seen from everywhere north of 47°S, and it never sets north of 76°N.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcturus | α Boo | −0.04 | orange |
| Muphrid | η Boo | 2.68 | yellowish white |
| – | ε Boo | 2.70 | yellow |
| Seginus | γ Boo | 3.03 | white |
| Thiba | δ Boo | 3.47 | yellow |
| Nekkar | β Boo | 3.50 | yellow |
| – | ρ Boo | 3.58 | orange |
| Asellus Primus | θ Boo | 4.05 | yellowish white |
The smaller the number, the brighter: below 1 are the brightest stars of the sky, 4 is hard to see under a city sky. Greek letters after Johann Bayer (1603).
Meteors
The Quadrantids radiate from Boötes: when they fall and how to see them.