Bootes Constellation, The Herdsman or Plowman TelescopeKing.com / Advice and Guides / Bootes Constellation, The Herdsman or Plowman Bootes Constellation, The Herdsman or Plowman May 17, 2012 Bootes Constellation Bootes Constellation Outline The constellation Bootes is easily visible. Simply look down from the tail of the Big Dipper. Bootes looks like a giant kite with a bright red star at the narrow end. Bootes is also known as the Bear Driver because it leads the Great Bear as it revolves around the North Star. Bootes is usually visualized as a herdsman holding a staff and two dogs on a leash, chasing Ursa Major around the pole. The Bootes constellation has been called many names over time. Some of these names include the Barking Dog, the Loud Weeper, the Pastor and Nimrod. The origin of the word “Bootes” itself is unclear. So suggest it is synonym to “plowman” and others think it represent the shouts of an ox driver. Bootes Mythology The constellation Bootes is associated with several myths.

In one, Bootes is a ploughman who drove the oxen which were tied to the polar axis in the Ursa Major constellation, with his two dogs. Bootes’ purpose was to keep the skies turning. A different myth sees Bootes linked with Atlas because of the position of the constellation’s arms near the pole star. Bootes is also said to have invented the plough, which earned him a place in the heavens. Another Greek myth tells the tale of Bootes as Icarius, a grape grower whom the god Dionysus had taught to make wine. When they tasted the wine, Icarius’ friends became so intoxicated that they believed they had been poisoned and so they killed him. When Icarius’ dog Maera brought his daughter Erigone to his body, she hanged herself in despair and the dog died of grief. Zeus then transformed them to constellations: Icarius became Bootes, Erigone was turned into the Virgo constellattion, and the dog became either Canis Major or Canis Minor. Various sources are inconsistent on that point.

Bootes Stars and Deep Space Objects The brightest star of Bootes is Arcturus (alpha Bootis) with an apparent magnitude of –1.0. It is the third brightest star in the sky. Arcturus is a red giant 36.7 light-years distant and about 110 times more luminous than the Sun. It has some unusual features besides its distinctive orange color. Arcturus is the fastest moving star in the sky, not in terms of its speed through space, but its speed across the backdrop of the other stars. In about 800 years, Arcturus will be very close to a Moon’s diameter from its current position in respect to the other stars which will have barely moved. Bootes contains several binary stars visible to the naked eye, including Iota, delta and mu. Mu Bootis is a triple star system with a yellow-white F-type subgiant for a primary component.

Arcturus: Facts About the 'Bear Guard' Star Arcturus: Facts About the 'Bear Guard' Star By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | September 17, 2013 10:36pm ET MORE Arcturus is a red giant star in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth's sky that is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes (the Herdsman). Arcturus is also among the brightest stars that can be seen from Earth. Astronomers say Arcturus will end up as a white dwarf at the end of its life. Notably, the light of Arcturus was used to help open the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. In science fiction, the name Arcturus has been used several times. Locating Arcturus The easiest way to spot Arcturus in the sky by following the curve of Ursa Major's (the Big Dipper) "handle" in the sky, thus revealing the origin of the famous phrase "follow the arc to Arcturus and then speed on to Spica." The latter part of that phrase refers to the bright star Spica (which is actually a binary).

Arcturus' location is: Right ascension: 14 hours 15 minutes 39.7 seconds Declination: +19 degrees 10 minutes 57 seconds Though they look serene and silent from our vantage on Earth, stars are actually roiling balls of violent plasma. Test your stellar smarts with this quiz. 0 of 10 questions complete Star Quiz: Test Your Stellar Smarts Though they look serene and silent from our vantage on Earth, stars are actually roiling balls of violent plasma. Test your stellar smarts with this quiz. 0 of Start Over | More Quizzes Watching the bear With its ruddy orange-red glow, Arcturus is easily visible to the naked eye and thus made it quite visible to astronomers from many cultures. The Inuit in Canada's north, for example, called the star Uttuqalualuk, or "the old man," and the Lakota Sioux referred to it as Itkob u, meaning "going towards." The name "Arcturus," however, comes from the ancient Greek Arktouros, which means something like Bear Guard or The Watcher of the Bear.

The name refers to Arcturus' proximity to Ursa Major and Ursa Minor ("The Great Bear" and "The Lesser Bear.") Arcturus' name appears in Greek literature at least as far back as the time of Hesiod, who wrote about the star in his book "Works and Days." Other Arcturus references in ancient times: In Roman culture, Arcturus was the narrator in the prologue of Rudens, a comedy by Plautus talking about the adventures of a girl kidnapped by pirates and seeking to return to her father. Arab astronomers called it Al Simāk al Rāmiḥ, sometimes translated as "Leg of the Lance-bearer," according to Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning by Richard Hinckley Allen. In Chinese, Arcturus translates in English characters as something close to "Ta-Kio," or the Great Horn. Chicago World's Fair Organizers for the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 were searching for a memorable way to open their exhibit. Since Arcturus was believed to be about 40 light-years away from Earth at the time, the organizers hit upon the idea of using the star's light as a part of the exhibition .

They advertised the stunt as a way of commemorating the last world's fair in the city, which took place in 1893 — around the time the light of Arcturus would have started the journey to Earth. At 9:15 p.m. Central Time on May 27, 1933, telescopes focused the star's light on several photoelectric cells. The current was used to flip a switch that turned on the floodlights at the expedition grounds. As it turned out, later measurements refined the distance to Arcturus as 37 light-years away from Earth. So the light that was used at the Chicago's World Fair actually began its journey to Earth in 1896. Modern understanding of Arcturus Today, astronomers know Arcturus packs a lot of punch despite it being only about 1.5 times the mass of the sun. To the naked eye, according to Jim Kaler, a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois. Arcturus appears to shine about 113 times more brightly than the sun. Arcturus, however, has a lower temperature than the sun, which means that a lot of its energy is radiated as heat.

Once this is accounted for, Arcturus actually releases 215 times more than the sun's radiation. The star has an apparent magnitude of -0.04 and an absolute magnitude of 0.2. [ The Brightest Stars in the Sky: A Starry Countdown ] The star is in the latter stages of its life. Considered a red giant, it has stopped fusing hydrogen in its core as the sun does, and astronomers believe it is now starting to fuse heavier elements such as carbon. "Such stars are not expected to have magnetic activity like the sun, but very weak X-ray emission suggests that Arcturus indeed is magnetically active and has a hard-to-observe 'buried corona'," wrote Kaler, referring to the shining shell of a star that is most easily visible when eclipsing the light. Once Arcturus exhausts its helium supply, its outer layers will likely bleed off and a white dwarf remnant will be left behind. Arcturus in fiction No planets have been found to date surrounding this star, although that subject has been explored in science fiction. One early example is "A Voyage to Arcturus," a book by David Lindsay that was published in 1920.

The protagonist travels to Tormance, a fictional planet of Arcturus. Arcturus — either the star or a planet with the same name — has also appeared in many other science fiction series, including Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series, "Doctor Who," "Star Trek" and the movie "Aliens." In "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series, a famous phrase goes: "However fast the body travels, the soul travels at the speed of an Arcturan megacamel." Author Bio Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor Elizabeth Howell is a contributing writer for Space.com who is one of the few Canadian journalists to report regularly on space exploration. She is pursuing a Ph.D. part-time in aerospace sciences (University of North Dakota) after completing an M.Sc. (space studies) at the same institution. She also holds a bachelor of journalism degree from Carleton University. Besides writing, Elizabeth teaches communications at the university and community college level. To see her latest projects, follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @HowellSpace .

Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor on Latest on Arcturus: Facts About the 'Bear Guard' Star Arcturus cuts through galaxy's disk | Brightest Stars | EarthSky Arcturus is roughly 25 times greater in diameter than our sun. Arcturus / Antares/ sun size comparison from Wikimedia Commons . Arcturus, brightest star in the constellation Bootes What does the proper motion of Arcturus tell us? It tells us that Arcturus is moving at a tremendous rate of speed (122 km/s) relative to our solar system. Moreover, Arcturus is not moving with the general stream of stars in the flat disk of our Milky Way galaxy. Instead, it is cutting perpendicularly through the galactic disk. Arcturus is thought to be an old star. It appears to be moving with a group of at least 52 other such stars, known as the Arcturus stream. Arcturus is likely to be considerably older than our sun. When the sun evolves to become a red giant, the sun might be a star much like Arcturus is now. As it cuts through the galactic disk, Arcturus will eventually reach a closest point to our sun.

The closest approach of Arcturus will happen in about 4,000 years, when the star will be a few hundredths of a light-year closer to Earth than it is today. But remember that Arcturus is not moving with the general stream of stars in the disk of our Milky Way galaxy. Thus, we will lose sight of this star relatively quickly. Millions of years from now, this star will be lost from the view of any future inhabitants of Earth, or at least those who are earthbound and looking with the eye alone. The red giant Arcturus is roughly 25 times the diameter of our sun. It is not the largest of the red giant, however, as the diagram below shows. Because of its larger size, in visible light Arcturus radiates more than 100 times the light of our sun. If you consider infrared and other forms of radiant energy, Arcturus is about 200 times more powerful than the sun. Its mass is hard to exactly determine, but may be slightly greater than that of our sun (1.1-0.4+0.6 solar mass).

The reddish or orange color of Arcturus signifies its temperature, which is about 7,300 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes it several thousand degrees cooler than the surface of the sun. Arcturus is the brightest star in the kite-shaped constellation Bootes. Spring evenings are a good time to “follow the arc to Arcturus.” Face east. Find the Big Dipper. Follow the curve in the Dipper’s handle to the orange star Arcturus. How to see the star Arcturus. Arcturus is the alpha star of a cone-shaped constellation called Bootes the Herdsman. It is far enough north on the sky’s dome that – for northern hemisphere observers – it’s visible during some part of the night throughout most of the year. You might notice this bright orange star passing high overhead on late spring evenings. In summer, Arcturus is high overhead shortly after dark. Autumn observers need to look early because then it sets by mid-evening. The best time to observe it in winter is in the wee hours before dawn. Our chart shows this constellation as you stand facing south on spring evenings. Seeing a Herdsman in these stars might be difficult, but the constellation is easy to imagine as a kite.

There’s an easy mnemonic for remembering how to identify this bright, orange star. Just remember the phrase: follow the arc to Arcturus. First, locate the Big Dipper in the northern sky. Notice that the handle of the Big Dipper is a curve or arc. Extend this curve past the end of the Big Dipper’s handle, and you will come to Arcturus. Arcturus is the brightest star north of the celestial equator. What does that mean? Imagine that Earth’s equator can be projected onto the sky. This line above Earth’s equator is called the celestial equator. It divides the sky into northern and southern hemispheres, just as Earth’s equator does for Earth. The three brightest stars of the sky – Sirius, Canopus and Alpha Centauri – are south of the celestial equator. Meanwhile, Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern part of the sky. It is only marginally brighter than the northern hemisphere’s second-brightest star, Vega . To the eye, Arcturus and Vega reign as co-stars in the northern half of the sky. Johannes Hevelius drew the constellation in Uranographia, his celestial catalogue in 1690.

The view is mirrored following the tradition of celestial globes, showing the celestial sphere in a view from “ouside.” (Wikimedia Commons) History and mythology of Arcturus. Arcturus’ constellation Bootes – the Herdsman – is sometimes pictured as guarding the Great Bear, or Ursa Major, which contains the Big Dipper asterism. We sometimes hear Arcturus called the Bear Guard. In China, the constellation for which Arcturus is the chief star was sometimes called the Dragon. In some classical Greek stories, Bootes was Icarus, who in another story flew too close to the sun. Passing directly over the Hawaiian Islands, Arcturus was a particularly important navigational star to the islands’ native inhabitants and other Polynesians. The translation may be questioned, but Arcturus is among the few stars mentioned in the Bible. (“Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south” – Job 9:9 and “Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season?

or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?” – Job 38:32, KJV.) One interesting story about Arcturus relates to the 1933 Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago. Its promoters wanted a flashy way to open the show, so they decided to have the light from Arcturus pass through a telescope onto a photocell. The photocell in turn worked as the switch that turned on the main spotlights to open the exhibition. There had also been a World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893, 40 years before the 1933 show. At the time, astronomers thought that Arcturus was 40 light-years away. So they thought that light left Arcturus at the end of the 1893 fair and traveled for 40 years through space like an Olympic torch bearer, to open the 1933 show. The promoters of Chicago’s World’s Fair had a great idea, but today’s astronomers place the distance to Arcturus at just less than 37 light-years .

The position of Arcturus is RA: 14h 15 m 39.7s, dec: +19° 10′ 56″. Boötes Constellation: Facts, Myth, Star Map, Major Stars, Deep Sky Objects | Constellation Guide Constellation Guide Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky Boötes Constellation Boötes constellation lies in the northern hemisphere. It is one of the largest constellations in the sky. The constellation’s name comes from the Greek word Βοώτης, Boōtēs, which means ox driver, plowman, or herdsman. The correct pronunciation is /boʊˈoʊtɨs/, with each ‘o’ pronounced separately and stress on the second syllable. Boötes was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The constellation is home to Arcturus , the third individual brightest star in the night sky, after Sirius in Canis Major and Canopus in Carina constellation .

FACTS, LOCATION & MAP Boötes Constellation Map, by IAU and Sky&Telescope magazine Boötes is the 13th largest constellation in the night sky, occupying an area of 907 square degrees. It is located in the third quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ3) and can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -50°. The neighboring constellations are Canes Venatici , Coma Berenices , Corona Borealis , Draco , Hercules , Serpens Caput , Virgo , and Ursa Major . Boötes has five stars with known planets and does not contain any Messier objects. The brightest star in the constellation is Arcturus, Alpha Boötis , which is also the third brightest star in the night sky. There are three meteor showers associated with the constellation Boötes: the January Bootids, the June Bootids, and the Quadrantids . Boötes belongs to the Ursa Major family of constellations, along with Camelopardalis , Canes Venatici , Coma Berenices , Corona Borealis , Draco , Leo Minor , Lynx , Ursa Major , and Ursa Minor .

MYTH Boötes is traditionally depicted as a herdsman with two hunting dogs on a leash and a club in his other hand. In the sky, Boötes follows Ursa Major around the pole. In one story, the constellation represents a ploughman driving the oxen in the Ursa Major constellation , followed by his two dogs, Asterion and Chara (represented by the constellation Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs ). The ploughman’s oxen are tied to the polar axis and their movement keeps the skies in constant rotation Most commonly, Boötes is taken to represent Arcas, son of Zeus and Callisto, daughter of the Arcadian king Lycaon. Arcas was brought up by his grandfather, the king, who one day decided to test Zeus by serving him his own son for a meal. Zeus, however, saw through Lycaon’s intentions, transformed the cruel king into a wolf, killed all his sons with thunderbolts, and brought Arcas back to life. Zeus’ wife Hera, having heard of her husband’s infidelity, transformed Callisto into a bear. Callisto roamed the woods until, years later, she met her son, who was now grown up.

Arcas didn’t recognize his mother and began to chase her. Callisto hid herself in a temple, where he could not hurt her without risking being convicted to death for defiling a sacred place. To avoid a tragedy, Zeus placed both of them in the sky; Callisto as Ursa Major and Arcas as Boötes. In another story, Boötes is taken to represent Icarius, a grape grower who once invited Dionysus to visit his vineyards. The god was so impressed that he gave Icarius the secret of making wine. Icarius followed the recipe and enjoyed the beverage so much that he invited all his friends to try it. They, however, enjoyed it a bit too much and, when they woke up the next day with bad hangovers, they assumed Icarius had tried to poison them. Angry, they decided to murder him in his sleep. Dionysus was saddened by the death of his friend and decided to place Icarius among the stars. In another myth, Boötes is credited for inventing the plough, which prompted the goddess Ceres to place him in the heavens.

MAJOR STARS IN BOÖTES Arcturus – α Boötis (Alpha Boötis) Arcturus is the third brightest star in the sky and the brightest star in the northern hemisphere. It has an apparent visual magnitude of -0.04. It is often listed as the fourth brightest star, behind Alpha Centauri , because the latter is a binary star with a combined magnitude of -0.27. Arcturus , however, is the third individual brightest star in the night sky, followed by Alpha Centauri A, the brightest star in Centaurus and the fourth individual brightest star in the sky. The name Arcturus means “guardian of the bear” in Ancient Greek. The star is located at the left foot of the Herdsman, the one standing next to the bear constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor . Alpha Boötis is a type K1.5 IIIpe orange giant, one with an unusual spectrum of light and full of emission lines.

(The “pe” stands for “peculiar emission.”) Approximately 36.7 light years distant, the star has a luminosity at least 110 times that of the Sun and a very high proper motion; it moves at 122km/s relative to the solar system. It will arrive at the point nearest to the Sun in approximately 4,000 years. How to find Arcturus in the sky Arcturus lies on the celestial equator and can easily be found if one follows the arc of the three bright stars that form the handle of the Big Dipper asterism in Ursa Major . It is a member of the Local Interstellar Cloud (or Local Fluff), an interstellar cloud through which the Earth and the solar system are currently moving. The cloud is 30 light years across. Arcturus is believed to be an old disk star. It appears to be travelling with a group of 52 other old disk stars, commonly known as the Arcturus Stream. Nekkar – β Boötis (Beta Boötis) Nekkar is a yellow G-type giant 219 light years from Earth.

It is a flare star, a type of variable star that shows dramatic increases in luminosity for a few minutes. The name Nekkar derives from a mis-transliteration of the Arabic word for “cattle driver.” Sometimes the star is also referred to as Meres. Seginus – γ Boötis (Gamma Boötis) Seginus is a Delta Scuti type variable star, one showing variations in brightness as a result of both radial and non-radial pulsations on its surface. The star is approximately 85 light years distant. Its luminosity varies between magnitude 3.02 and 3.07 with a period of 6.97 hours. The star belongs to the spectral class A7III. Izar (Pulcherrima) – ε Boötis (Epsilon Boötis) Izar is a binary star located approximately 300 light years away in the constellation Boötes. It consists of a bright orange giant and a smaller and fainter main sequence star. Epsilon Boötis is also sometimes knows as Pulcherrima, which means “the lovieliest” in Latin.

The name Izar comes from the Arabic word for “veil.” The star’s other traditional names are Mirak (“the loins” in Arabic) and Mizar. Muphrid (Saak) – η Boötis (Eta Boötis) Eta Boötis is a spectroscopic binary star with a period of 494 days. It is located close to Arcturus in the sky, only 3.24 light years away. The star’s traditional name is Muphrid, derived from the Arabic phrase for “the single one of the lancer.” It is also known as Saak. Muphrid lies 37 light years from Earth. It belongs to the spectral class G0 IV. It has a significant excess of elements heavier than hydrogen. Alkalurops – μ Boötis (Mu Boötis) Mu Boötis is also known as Alkalurops. The name comes from the Greek word kalaurops, which means “the shepherd’s staff.” Alkalurops is a triple star approximately 121 light years distant. The brightest component is a yellow-white F-type subgiant with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.31.

The companion is a binary star lying 108 arcseconds away. Merga – h Boötis (38 Boötis) Merga lies about 153 light years from Earth and belongs to the spectral class F7IVw. The name Merga comes from the Arabic phrase meaning “the chained woman.” The star has an apparent magnitude of 5.74. Nadlat – ψ Boötis (Psi Boötis) Psi Boötis, or Nadlat, is an orange K-type giant 250 light years distant. It has an apparent magnitude of 4.52. τ Boötis (Tau Boötis) Tau Boötis is another binary star in Boötes, approximately 51 light years from Earth. It consists of a yellow-white dwarf and a dim red dwarf. The primary star has an extrasolar planet in its orbit, discovered in 1996 and confirmed in 1999.

DEEP SKY OBJECTS IN BOÖTES Boötes void The Boötes void, also known as the Great Void or the Supervoid, is a sphere-shaped region of the sky, almost 250 million light years in diameter, that contains very few galaxies. Its approximate location is at right ascension 14h 20m and declination 26°. The void was originally discovered by Robert P. Kirshner, Harvard College Professor of Astronomy, in 1981, as part of a survey of galactic redshifts. By now, it is known that there are at least 60 galaxies in the void. American astronomer Gregory Scott Alderling once observed, “If the Milky Way had been in the center of the Boötes void, we wouldn’t have known there were other galaxies until the 1960s.” Boötes I (Boötes Dwarf Galaxy) NGC 5466, photo: NASA, ESA (Wikisky) The Boötes Dwarf Galaxy is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy located approximately 197,000 light years from Earth.

It is one of the faintest galaxies known, with an absolute magnitude of -5.8 and apparent magnitude of 13.1. It was only discovered in 2006. Boötes I orbits the Milky Way Galaxy and, because of its distorted shape, it is believed to be tidally disrupted by the Milky Way. The galaxy is approximately 720 light years across. NGC 5466 NGC 5466 is a globular cluster approximately 51,800 light years from Earth. The cluster was first discovered by the German-born British astronomer William Herschel in 1784. It lies about 52,800 light years from the Galactic centre and is believed to be the source of a star stream called the 45 Degree Tidal Stream, which was discovered in 2006. The cluster is notable because it contains a blue horizontal branch of stars and is as metal poor as regular globular clusters.

Astronomy The Constellation Bootes – One Minute Astronomer by Brian Ventrudo The kite-shaped constellation Böotes, the Herdsman, is best known for its brilliant yellow-orange star Arcturus, the third-brightest individual star in the heavens. Böotes was one of Ptolemy’s original 48 constellations in the first century. The origin of the constellation is unclear, but one reference has Böotes moving a celestial plough (Ursa Major) around a pivot point marked by the north star. While Böotes is a large constellation, it holds just a handful of deep-sky sights for small scopes. The region has the lovely globular M3, of course, just over the border in Canes Venatici. But unlike neighbouring Virgo and Coma Berenices, Böotes contains few galaxies. Indeed professional astronomers have recently mapped out what’s called the “Böotes Void”, a spherical region of space some 250 million light years across, which contains just a few dozen galaxies (see image above). The constellation Bootes, which contains the bright star Arcturus and the lovely double star Izar.

Find Arcturus by following the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper. But Böotes does hold some fine double stars that make excellent targets for small telescopes. My favourite is the star Izar, or ε (epsilon) Bootis. Find Izar up the east side of the “kite” and north from Arcturus. The star is also called Pulcherrima, which is Latin for “most beautiful”. The star has components of magnitude 2.6 and 4.8, but they’re a close 2.9” apart. This requires at least 100-150x to split in a 4” scope. In nights of very unsteady seeing, the pair might be difficult to split in any telescope. Izar’s primary is a yellow-orange giant, and the secondary is a white main sequence star. To some observers, the primary causes the secondary to appear not white but blue or even purple. This pair revolves around each other in 1,000 years and lies about 200 light years from Earth. From the northern hemisphere you can see Böotes rising high in the eastern sky by 10 p.m. in April and 8 p.m.

in May. And southern observers: you can see Arcturus, Izar, and the rest of Böotes well over the northern horizon this month and next. Publisher’s Note: An earlier version of this article suggested the globular cluster M3 lies within the boundaries of Bootes. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici. Bootes Constellation on Top Astronomer Bootes Please hover over any star to get more information Bootes, or "the Herdsman," is a constellation in the northern hemisphere, first documented by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Its name means "herdsman" or "plowman" in Greek. The Greeks used to call the constellation Arctophylax ("bear watcher" or "bear keeper"). Bootes is usually visualized as a herdsman holding a staff and two dogs on a leash, chasing Ursa Major around the pole. The origin of the name is not certain, but the constellation is associated with several myths.

In one, Bootes represents a ploughman who drove the oxen which were tied to the polar axis, in the Ursa Major constellation , with his two dogs, which belong to the constellation Canes Venatici . Bootes' work, in other words, kept the skies turning. In other legends, Bootes is identified with Atlas because of the position of the constellation's arms near the pole star. Bootes is also said to have invented the plough, which earned him a place in the heavens. Another myth identifies the constellation with the Ursa Major story and Arcas, the son of Zeus and Callisto, raised by his mother's father, Lycaon. When Zeus visited Lycaon, the latter served him his son for dinner to verify that it was really the god himself at his table. In retribution, the angry Zeus transformed Lycaon into a wolf. Meanwhile, Arcas' mother Callisto had been transformed into a bear by Zeus' jealous wife Hera. Not recognizing her in the forest, Arcas once began to chase her. Callisto hid herself in a temple, a place that was not to be desecrated, and faced the punishment of death.

Zeus, however, decided that she should be placed in the sky instead, as well as her son: she became Ursa Major and he, Bootes. Yet another Greek legend identifies Bootes as Icarius, a grape grower whom the god Dionysus had taught to make wine. When they tasted the wine, Icarius' friends became so intoxicated that they believed they had been poisoned and killed him. When Icarius' dog Maera brought his daughter Erigone to his body, she hanged herself in despair and the dog died of grief. Zeus transformed them to constellations: Icarius became Bootes, Erigone was turned into the Virgo constellattion , and the dog became either Canis Major or Canis Minor , depending on the source. The Bootes constellation occupies an area of 907 square degrees and contains four stars with known planets. It can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -50° and is best visible at 9 p.m. during the month of June. Bootes is home to [876] Arcturus or alpha Bootis, the third brightest star in the sky.

Arcturus is a red giant 36.7 light-years distant and about 110 times more luminous than the Sun. Its proper motion is larger than that of any first magnitude star except [2081] alpha Centauri. Its name is derived from the Greek word Arktouros, meaning "guardian of the bear." In mythology, Zeus placed the star in the sky to protect Callisto and Arcas from Hera’s jealousy. In other cultures, the star is also known as Aramec, Azimech, Alramih and Haris-el-sema ("the keeper of heaven"). It is the zenith star in Hawaii. Prehistoric Polynesian sailors called it Hokulea, or the "Star of Joy." Ancient Greeks believed the star to portend tempestuous weather. The Chinese call it Da Jiao ("great horn"), while Inuit astronomers call the star "the Old Man." [881] beta Bootis or Nekkar ("cattle driver"), is a yellow G-type giant about 219 light-years distant from Earth- It is also known by the name Meres.

[879] gamma Bootis or Seginus, is a Delta Scuti type variable star with an apparent magnitude between 3.02 and 3.07. [878] epsilon Bootis, Izar ("veil") or Pulcherrima (“loveliest”), is a binary star composed of a bright orange giant and a main sequence star. Its other traditional names are Mirak ("the loins") and Mizar. [877] eta Bootis, also known as Saak and Muphrid ("the single one of the lancer"), is Arcturus’ first neighbour, a spectroscopic binary that has a notable excess of elements heavier than hydrogen. [886] mu Bootis, is also known as Alkalurops ("shepherd’s staff"), Inkalunis, Clava and Venabulum. It is a triple star system with a yellow-white F-type subgiant for a primary component. [890] kappa Bootis or Asellus Tertius ("third donkey colt"), is a white-yellowish star system that has a binary system for a primary and a Delta Scuti type variable star for a companion.

Boötes | Temple of the Earth and Stars Boötes by Oraia Helene Today we’re looking at the constellation Boötes the Herdsman, whose alpha star, Arcturus, is one of the brightest stars in the sky and one of the easiest to spot on spring and summer nights in the northern hemisphere. The name Boötes comes from the Greek for “ox-driver” or “herdsman,” and it appeared in Homer’s Odyssey, so the name has been in use for thousands of years. The name of the constellation kind of looks like it should be pronounced “booties,” but the two dots over the second O (called a diaeresis) indicate that both Os are pronounced separately, hence “boh-OH-teez.” (The diaeresis is distinct from the more commonly known umlaut, which marks a shift in pronunciation.) Anyway, Boötes sits roughly in between Virgo and the circumpolar constellations of Draco and Ursa Major, and its mythology is closely connected with that of the two Bears – but I’m getting ahead of myself.

The brightest star in Boötes is Arcturus, the fourth brightest star in the sky with an apparent magnitude of -0.04. It’s a yellow-orange giant that is bright enough, and close enough at about 37 ly away, for its color to be visible to the naked eye. Finding Arcturus is relatively easy; if you recall, one of the ways the Big Dipper can be used to point the way around the sky is to use the curve of the handle to “arc to Arcturus.” Its place as the fourth brightest star in the sky, and by far the brightest visible on spring and summer evenings, helps as well. The constellation as a whole looks something like a kite, with Arcturus down at the bottom where the string would be attached. But Arcturus is on the move, with a relatively high degree of visible motion relative to our solar system. It’s moving along a path that takes it perpendicular to the plane of the Milky Way, and it’s moving very quickly, along with a group of 52 other stars, together called the Arcturus Stream.

It will reach its closest approach to our Sun in about 4,000 years, though it will still only be a few hundredths of a light-year closer. The beta star in Boötes is called Nekkar, which is also the Arabic name for the constellation, meaning “ox driver,” and the gamma star is called Seginus. The globular cluster NGC 5466 is the only deep-sky object of note within Boötes, appearing as a fuzzy “star” of about magnitude 8.5. Boötes contains a handful of faint galaxies as well, but nothing really worth writing home about. The constellation does contain several multiple stars, though, some of which are easy to spot using a small telescope. Mythologically, the origin of Boötes the Herdsman or Ox-Driver is a little bit fuzzy. One legend says he was the son of Demeter, goddess of agriculture, and he is credited with the invention of the plough – and if you recall, the Big Dipper in nearby Ursa Major has sometimes been called the Plough.

(On the other hand, it was also called the Wain, or Wagon, and both ploughs and wagons can be drawn by oxen, which Boötes is driving as the ox-driver.) So that seems kind of straightforward, but in another myth, Boötes is actually the son of Callisto and Zeus. If you recall from the article where I discuss Ursa Major and Ursa Minor , Callisto was turned into a bear by Hera when Zeus paid her too much amorous attention. She was in danger of being hunted and killed by her own son, sometimes called Arcas instead of Boötes, until Zeus placed her in the sky to keep her safe, where she became Ursa Major. (And usually Arcas becomes the little bear beside her, Ursa Minor; this particular version involving Boötes has been traced back to the Greek scholar Eratosthenes.) But even outside of that myth, the name Arcturus – which has sometimes been applied to the entire constellation and not just its brightest star – means “guardian of the bear,” and Boötes is sometimes pictured holding the leashes of the nearby hunting dogs of the constellation Canes Venatici and chasing the two bears around the sky.

So there are two fairly different portrayals of Boötes – the herdsman son of a Goddess who invents the plough to help humanity, and the hunter driving the bears across the sky. In all cases, he is very closely linked to the circumpolar stars of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, whether they are pictured as bears, wagons, or ploughs! Since Boötes does seem positioned to keep the circumpolar stars in line, those stars have sometimes been seen as his herd or flock, as in Arabic culture. In ancient Egypt, Boötes was a benevolent hippopotamus tasked with keeping the evil circumpolar stars (which never set) in check. In China, Arcturus is seen as one of the horns of the celestial dragon, Spica, in Virgo, being the other one. The lunar calendar is calibrated to begin when the moon touches the horns of the dragon. Arcturus has also been an important navigational star in Polynesia, where it was known as Hōkūle’a. In particular, it is the zenith star for the Hawaiian Islands, standing directly overhead in the sky.

So on long ocean treks by canoe, Polynesian navigators would know when they had traveled far enough north to the correct latitude for Hawaii, and could then turn west to reach the Big Island. They could then use Sirius to navigate for a return trip to Tahiti. In western magick and astrology, Boötes is said to be of the nature of Mercury and Saturn, according to Ptolemy, and gives prosperity through hard work, but also a tendency toward excess and strong desires. It also gives a fondness for rural pursuits, presumably including ploughing and herding, but also an interest in the occult. Agrippa says that the bright star Arcturus, which he calls by an older name, Alchamech, is of the nature of Mars and Jupiter, and rules over the stone of jasper and plantain in the plant kingdom. The activity of Arcturus was believed to bring storms, but also to bestow riches and honors to those born under its influence.

The image of Arcturus is that of a horse or wolf, or the figure of a man dancing; Agrippa says that “it is good against fevers, it astringeth and retaineth the blood.” Arcturus is also one of the Behenian Fixed Stars, each of which is given an abstract character, like a sigil, to describe and express its influence. (The character for Arcturus is given below.) Vivian Robson adds that Arcturus gives riches, honors, high renown, self-determination and prosperity by navigation and voyages, while the gamma star of Boötes, Seginus, gives a subtle mind, shamelessness, and loss through friends and companies. The delta star, Princeps, gives a keen, studious and profound mind, with the ability for research. And all of these stars can have different influences if they are rising, or appear in conjunction with the sun, moon, or other planets, though not all of them have every possible combination given. Arcturus is one of the few that does, a testament to its brightness and prominent position near the northern circumpolar stars.

Just remember that with these stars that are outside of the Zodiac, we’re talking about their position as projected onto the ecliptic; they’re not really going to appear in conjunction or opposition to the sun or the planets, because they’re not in the same path of apparent movement. But if you take their celestial longitude, it gives them a spot along that path, and that is what then interacts with the other players in your horoscope. I’m repeating myself a bit, I know, but I want to make sure it’s clear. So that will about do it, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the constellation of Boötes the Herdsman; hopefully it will give you something to look for in the summer skies! Bo�tes the Herdsman - Astronomy BellaOnline's Astronomy Editor Boï¿½tes the Herdsman Boötes (pronounced boh-oh-teez) is one of the oldest constellations in the sky, though today it's not generally well known. Homer mentioned Boötes in The Odyssey three thousand years ago. It was already old then.

The name comes from Sumeria, a Middle Eastern civilization with a well-developed astronomical tradition, which flourished some five thousand years ago. You can find Boötes by looking first for the Big Dipper (known as the Plough in the UK). Follow the curved handle around to the next bright star, Arcturus. A skywatcher's mnemonic says to "arc to Arcturus." Arcturus (alpha Boötis) is one of the brightest stars in the sky, a red giant with a diameter 25 times that of the Sun. It has a yellow color like spring flowers and when Arcturus appears, spring won't be far behind. At 37 light years distance, it's a near neighbor in galactic terms. Once you've found Arcturus, in a fairly dark sky you should be able to see the rest of Boötes. In the past Boötes may have been envisaged as a person, but it looks very much like a kite to modern eyes. Arcturus is right where the kite is attached to the tail ï¿½ it's labeled with a Greek alpha.

There is also a horseshoe of stars alongside Boötes, called Corona Borealis (Northern Crown), an attractive little constellation. The older the constellation, the more stories are attached to it and Boötes is no exception, so I'll just mention one. Boötes is a herdsman who is driving a bear around the sky. The bear, of course, is Ursa Major (Great Bear) which the constellation Boötes follows around the North Pole. The name Arcturus means "bearkeeper" and seventeenth century astronomer Hevelius gave the herdsman two dogs on a leash, represented by the constellation Canes Venatici , as shown in his star atlas. Soon after New Year's Day, the section of the sky where we see Boötes is the radiant (the apparent source) of the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. But since meteor showers are named for the location of the radiant of the shower, this one should be called the Boötids. What's up? The shower was first observed early in the nineteenth century. The radiant was in the constellation of the Mural Quadrant, called after an an old astronomical instrument .

The radiant hasn't moved, but the Mural Quadrant wasn't included in the 88 constellations officially agreed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Tau Boötis is a star which isn't particularly bright seen from Earth, even though it's somewhat larger and hotter than the Sun. Its main claim to fame is that it's orbited by one of the first exoplanets to be discovered. There are three other stars in Boötes also known to have exoplanets, the most interesting being a gas giant in the habitable zone of its star. The habitable zone is the area around a star in which liquid water could exist and therefore there could be life. Although we wouldn't expect the planet itself to be inhabited, it could have a suitable rocky moon. Boötes contains a large region full of galaxies so far away that light takes from 6-11 billion years to get here. This means we're looking back in time when we see these thousand galaxies with their supermassive black holes, some having the mass of billions of Suns. In 2007 the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope and some ground-based telescopes observed this region.

Since we have evidence that most galaxies have a supermassive black hole at the center ï¿½ including ours ï¿½ this observation can help us to understand how galaxies evolve. Nonetheless perhaps the most surprising thing found in Boötes is nothing. The Boötes Void was discovered in 1981 ï¿½ an area 350 million light years across, apparently containing no galaxies. By now, some have been discovered, yet it's very underpopulated compared to other regions of space. There are theories, but no one is really sure why it's so empty. References: (1) Ridpath, I. "Boötes the herdsman" [accessed 08.09.10] (2) "New Panorama Reveals More Than a Thousand Black Holes" Arcturus - Crystalinks Arcturus Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Bootes.

To the naked eye, orange-yellow Arcturus has a visual magnitude of -0.04, making it the brightest star north of the celestial equator, and the fourth brightest star in the night sky, after -1.46 magnitude Sirius, -0.86 magnitude Canopus and �0.27 magnitude Alpha Centauri. However, Alpha Centauri is a bright binary star, whose unresolved components to the naked eye are both fainter than Arcturus. This makes Arcturus the third brightest individual star, just ahead of Alpha Centauri A, whose visual magnitude is -0.01. Arcturus is visible from both hemispheres in the sky, as it is located less than 20 degrees north of the celestial equator. The star culminates at midnight on about the 30th April, being visible during the northern spring or the southern autumn. From the northern hemisphere, an easy way to find Arcturus is to follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper. By continuing in this path, one can find Spica, "Arc to Arcturus, then speed to Spica." The star is also a member of the Local Interstellar Cloud.

Arcturus takes its name from its nearness to the sky Bears, Big and Little Bears, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor. From Arktouros or Arctophilax, "the Bear Guard" and also called "the Bear Watcher". The "Herdsman", or "driver of oxen" are other titles. Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation of Bootes the Herdsman so it is also called Alpha Bootis. The pattern of stars in this constellation forms the shape of a kite or an ice cream cone; seeing a Herdsman driving the bears around the sky. Arcturus is believed to be one of the first stars named by ancient observers. It is translated as "Guardian of the Bear" and is a name that was once used for the entire constellation of Bootes. It is easily found by noting that the curve of the handle of the Big Dipper is part of a circle - an arc - and we can just follow the arc to Arcturus. Arcturus is a giant with a diameter about 18 times our Sun's and four times as much mass.

Its surface temperature is about 1500 degrees lower than Sun's but its much greater surface area results in an outpouring of energy at a rate making it 105 times as luminous as Sun. Arcturus is notable for its high proper motion, larger than any first magnitude star other than nearby ? Centauri. It is now at its closest point to the Sun, and is moving rapidly relative to the solar system. Arcturus is thought to be an old disk star, and appears to be moving with a group of 52 other such stars. Its mass is hard to exactly determine, but may be about the same as the Sun, and is no more than 1.5 solar masses. Arcturus is likely to be considerably older than the Sun, and much like what the Sun will be in its red giant phase. According to the Hipparcos satellite, Arcturus is 36.7 light years (11.3 parsecs) from Earth, relatively close in astronomical terms. From this satellite's observations, Arcturus is now known to be slightly variable, by about 0.04 magnitudes over 8.3 days.

It is believed that the surface of the star oscillates slightly, a common feature of red giant stars. In the case of Arcturus, this was an interesting discovery as it is known that the redder (more towards or within the M spectral class) a giant gets, the more variable it will be. Extreme cases like Mira undergo large swings over hundreds of days; Arcturus is not very red and is a borderline case between variability and stability with its short period and tiny range. Hipparcos also suggested that Arcturus is a binary star, with the companion about twenty times dimmer than the primary and orbiting close enough to be at the very limits of our current ability to make it out. The most recent studies of the issue are generally coming down on the side of it being a single star, however. Arcturus has the largest "proper motion" - motion across the sky - of any of the bright stars except Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system. In 100 years Arcturus moves across the sky a distance equal to about half the width of your little finger held at arm's length.

At its distance of nearly 37 light years, this motion, when combined with its motion along our line of sight measured spectroscopically using the Doppler shift, yields a space velocity of about 76 miles per second with respect to our Sun. Most stars in our vicinity are moving relatively slowly with respect to Sol because of our common motion carrying us around the center of the Milky Way galaxy every 250 million years. Arcturus is in an elongated orbit around the Galaxy's center that carries it out into the Galaxy's halo. It was formed in the halo of the Milky Way and is an interloper in our neighborhood. It has been visible to the naked eye for only about half a million years. It will be a little closer in a few thousand years, but then will recede from our view in another half million years as it continues its journey on a different orbital path. Arcturus's great brilliance makes it possible to obtain very detailed spectra and to determine its chemical composition. Arcturus is deficient in elements such as silicon, aluminum, and iron which are formed in stars. It contains only about a fifth as much of these elements as Sun.

These elements are formed inside stars, mixed into the interstellar medium as stars explode, and incorporated into subsequent generations of stars. Arcturus Wikipedia Mythology The name of the star derives from the ancient Greek Arktouros and means "Bear Guard". This is a reference to it being the brightest star in the constellation Bootes the Hunter (of which it forms the left foot), which is next to the Big and Little Bears, Ursa major and Ursa Minor. This bright star is the subject of numerous ancient and modern myths. Arcturus was famous with the seamen of early days and as a calendar sign regulated their annual festival by its movements in relation to the sun. But its influence always was dreaded, as is seen in Aratos writings. Its annual rising (the latest rising visible at sunset) fixed the date of the husbandmen's Lustratio frugum; and allusions were made to its character as unfavorably affecting the farmer's work; "When moist Arcturus clouds the sky". Other contemporary authors confirmed this stormy reputation, while all classical calendar's gave the dates of its risings and settings. Arcturus corresponds to the Hindu astronomy Nakshatra of Cultual significance.

According to E W Bullinger (The Witness of the Stars ), a biblical interpreter of the constellations, the ancient Egyptians called Bootes Smat, which means 'one who rules, subdues, and governs'. They also called him Bau, which means also 'the coming one'. An Egyptian astronomical calendar of the 15th century BC, associates it with the star Antares in the immense sky figure Menat; and Lockyer claims it as one of the objects of worship in Nile temples, as it was in the temple of Venus at Ancona in Italy. The Arabs knew Arcturus as Al Simak al Ramih, sometimes translated the "Leg of the Lance-bearer", and again, perhaps more correctly, the "Lofty Lance-bearer".

It is called Haris-el-sema, "the keeper of the heaven." This name has been variously romanized in the past, leading to obsolete variants as Aramec and Azimech, Another Arabic name; Al Haris al Sama, the "Keeper of Heaven," perhaps came from the star's early visibility in the twilight owing to its great northern declination, as though on the lookout for the safety and proper deportment of his lesser stellar companions, and so "Patriarch Mentor of the Train." This subsequently became Al Haris al Simak, "the Keeper of Simak", probably referring to Spica, "the Unarmed One". Al Biruni mentioned Arcturus as the Second Calf of the Lion, the early Asad (Lion) in early Arabian astronomy; Spica being the First Calf. The Greeks had a word meaning "Javelin-bearer", while Bayer had Gladius, Kolanza, and Pugio, all applied to Arcturus, which probably marked in some early drawing the "Sword", "Lance", or "Dagger" in the Hunter's (Orion) hand. Similarly it took the title Alkameluz of the whole constellation.

It has been identified with the Chaldaeans' Papsukal, "the Guardian Messenger", the divinity of their 10th month Tibitu. Along the Euphrates it was the Shepherd of the Heavenly Flock, or the Shepherd of the Life of Heaven, undoubtedly the Sib-zi-anna of the inscriptions; the star eta (Mufrid) being often included in this, and thus making one of the several pairs of Euphratean Twin Stars. Another title was Audiens, which seems unintelligible unless the word be a misprint for Audens, the "Bold One". With others it was Arturig and Ariture, or the Carlwaynesterre from the early confusion in applying the title Arcturus to Charles' Wain as well as to Bootes and its lucida. Bootes is the cultivator or Ploughman who drives the Bears, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor around the Pole Star, Polaris. The bears, tied to the Polar Axis, are pulling a plough behind them, tilling the heavenly fields "in order that the rotations of the heavens should never cease".

In the King James Version of the Bible, Arcturus is mentioned twice in the Book of Job: "Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south." Job: 9:9 Manilius 1st century AD writes "they will be kings under kings and ministers of state, and be charged with the guardianship of the people, custodianship of great houses and treasures, who confine their business to the care of another's home so that the wealth of monarchs and temple finances will be in their keeping". Any type of occupation that requires planning is influenced by Bootes. These people are the driving force behind government and large corporations. They are the planners and designers, the movers and shakers, who "make the world go round". Bootes symbolizes the elder, the sage, the wise old man who is interested in principles and underlying causes, theories, ideologies, and how the past effects the future. (Conservative) politicians, economists, draftsmen, architects, designers of all kinds. Prehistoric Polynesian navigators knew Arcturus as Hokule'a, the "Star of Joy." Arcturus is the Zenith Star of the Hawaiian Islands.

Using Hokule'a and other stars, the Polynesians launched their double-hulled canoes from Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. Traveling east and north they eventually crossed the equator and reached the latitude where Arcturus would appear directly overhead in the summer night sky. Knowing they had arrived at the exact latitude of the island chain, they sailed due west on the trade winds until making landfall. If Hokule'a could be kept directly overhead, they landed on the southeastern shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. For a return trip to Tahiti the navigators could use Sirius, the zenith star of that island. The star achieved fame when its light was used to open the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. The star was chosen as it was thought that light from Arcturus had started its journey at about the time of the previous Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Technically the star is 36.7 light years away so the light would have started its journey in 1896. Pseudoscience Channeling Some people who call themselves Light Workers say they channel entities from Arcturus.

Edgar Cayce channeled that Arcturus is one of the most advanced civilizations in this galaxy. It exists in the fifth-dimension and is the prototype for Earth's future. Its energies work as an emotional, mental, and spiritual healers for humanity. It is also an energy gateway through which humans pass during death and re-birth. It functions as a gateway station for non-physical consciousness to become accustomed to physicality. Arcturus is that through which individuals pass, when the individual must chose as to whether it is to return to the Earth-sun system, or to pass on to others. This is both a step in soul evolution. New Age guru Jose Arguelles wrote that 3,000,000 years ago beings from Arcturus colonized the northern hemisphere of Mars and beings from Antares colonized the planet's southern hemisphere. All of the above is meaningless. Astrology In Vedic or Sidereal Astrology, Arcturus is called 'Swati' which is a word derived from the language Sanskrit.

It referred to "the Good Goer", or perhaps "Sword", but figured as a Coral Bead, Gem, or Pearl; and known there also as Nishtya, "Outcast", possibly from its remote northern situation far outside of the zodiac, whence, from its brilliancy, it was taken to complete the series of Hindu asterisms. In the astrology of the Middle Ages, Arcturus was one of the 15 Behenian fixed stars, associated with jasper and the plantain herb. Agrippa lists its symbol under the alternate name Alchameth. The Egyptian pebble is a brownish-yellow jasper. Arcturus is said to give prosperity from work, strong desires, a tendency to excess, a fondness for rural pursuits, together with some liking for occultism. It gives riches, honors, high renown, self-determination and prosperity by navigation and voyages. In Qabbalah, Arcturus is associated with the Hebrew letter Teth and the 9th Tarot Trump, The Hermit. - The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology Tarot Arcturus is associated with the Hermit in Tarot.

Oswald Wirth in The Tarot of the Magicians writes about the Hermit ... Depicted wearing a cloak with a hood that covers him from head to feet; except for his face and hands he is completely undercover. Held up in his right hand is a lighted lantern, a walking stick in his left, with a serpent on the ground nearby. With his cane he taps and sounds out the earth as he advances slowly. Rather than kill the serpent he casts a spell on it so that it twirls around his stick suggesting that he works along with the lower energies. The lantern penetrates and searches out and reveals the inner quality of things. The Hermit is the master who works on the drawing board, where he casts the exact plan of the intended construction. Before taking form everything pre-exists as an abstract concept, as an intention, he represents the mysterious artisan, the drawn-up plan, the scaffold without which no vital construction could be made, the prototype putting the stamp of the species on the individual, the astral body of the occultist. He is the master capable of directing the work of others and of discerning what is in the embryo in the sphere of human development.

The Arc in Arcturus takes us to creation: h2g2 - Constellations: Bootes 'the Herdsman' - Edited Entry Constellations: Bootes 'the Herdsman' Content from the guide to life, the universe and everything Constellations: Bootes 'the Herdsman' Right Ascension 15h, Declination +30° Origin: Ancient Boötes (pronounced boh-oh-teez) the Herdsman 3 is one of Ptolemy's 48 original constellations , so it is classified 'ancient'. Following the 'arc' of the handle of the Big Dipper (going away from the bowl) you will land right on Arcturus (alpha Boötis). Therefore, 'arc to Arcturus' the saying goes - followed by 'spike to Spica', because straight 'down' from Arcturus you will land on Spica in Virgo . Boötes is kite-shaped and shares borders with (clockwise from the north) Draco , Ursa Major, Canes Venatici , Coma Berenices , Virgo, Serpens Caput, Corona Borealis and Hercules .

Surprisingly for such a large area (it is the 13th-largest constellation) there are no Messier objects. Interestingly, there is a rather huge mysterious 'nothing' (absence of galaxies ) called the Boötes Void. This 'supervoid' was discovered in 1981. It is more than a billion light years 4 from us and measures almost 350 million light years in diameter. There are many theories about the Boötes Void; it remains an enigmatic mystery and popular science fiction topic. Mythology According to the Greek myth, the great god Zeus had a dalliance with Callisto, the daughter of King Lycaon of Arcadia ; and she bore a son who she named Arcas. King Lycaon did not believe his daughter when she claimed the child's father was Zeus, so invited Zeus to join them for a meal. The meat offered to Zeus was unusual - it was in fact the sliced and diced flesh of the infant Arcas, who had been killed earlier on the instructions of the goddess Hera, Zeus' jealous wife. Zeus did not relish having his son served up on a silver platter and took his revenge on King Lycaon by killing his sons.

He then gathered up the body parts of Arcas and put him back together, before handing the child over to Atlas' daughter Maia 5 to raise. To keep Callisto safe from Hera, Zeus turned Callisto into a bear. When Arcas grew up he was out hunting one day when the bear rushed to embrace him. Thinking he was being attacked, Arcas determined to kill the bear, not knowing it was really his mother. Callisto raced to the Temple of Zeus to appeal on their behalf and Zeus placed them both in the heavens: Callisto as Ursa Major and Arcas as the constellation Boötes the Herdsman. Another version of the tale has a slightly different ending: the mother and son are transformed into Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. In this version, Boötes honours the herdsman who invented the plough. This so delighted Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, that she arranged his reward with Zeus: his own constellation, rotating the heavens for eternity. Stars The scientific star names are simple to understand (if you know your Greek alphabet ). For example, 'alpha Boötis' means it is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes. The next brightest is designated 'beta' etc.

This is known as the ' Bayer designation '. Some stars have proper names as well, for example, alpha Boötis is Arcturus. Others are known by their catalogue number. Arcturus is a first magnitude orange giant at just 36 light years distant. It is one of the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere of the celestial globe and the fourth-brightest star in the sky overall. Arcturus means 'bear guardian' in Greek; it was known by Homer, Hesiod and Ptolemy. In this fabulous Astronomy Picture of the Day image , Arcturus is in the centre of the picture between Jupiter and 'The Plough' asterism (part of the constellation Ursa Major). Star Table Orange giant New General Catalogue (NGC) The NGC was compiled by John Louis Emil Dreyer (director of the Armagh Observatory from 1882 - 1916). NGC 5548 is a Seyfert galaxy . These types of galaxy, identified in 1943 and named after their discoverer Carl Keenan Seyfert, have an intensely bright, compact and highly active nucleus, caused by a supermassive black hole at their core.

NGC 5466 is the only globular cluster in Boötes. It was discovered by William Herschel in May 1784, who catalogued it H VI.9. Many galaxies are viewable in the direction of Boötes 6 , including the stunning edge-on spirals NGC 5529 and NGC 5689 . NGC Table 78m Meteor Showers Meteor showers are particles of dust hitting the Earth's atmosphere. All the meteors in a shower are travelling in the same direction in space, so they appear to spread out from a single point in the sky known as the radiant. The meteor shower is normally named after the constellation which contains the radiant. If there's more than one meteor shower per constellation, then each shower is named after the closest star. The January Quadrantid meteor shower is an exception; although its radiant is in Boötes, it is named after the now defunct constellation, the Quadrant. It hails from a piece of a comet which disintegrated over half a millennium ago, in 1490 8 . The remainder of the comet is now a near-Earth asteroid called 2003 EH1.

The Earth passes through the debris field at such an angle that the shower is extremely short (just a few hours). But it is a good show if you catch one; the ZHR (Zenithal Hourly Rate) is over 100 per hour. In the early hours of 4 January, 2008, the Quadrantid meteor shower was viewed from the air and the image also captured a gorgeous green aurora . Extrasolar Planets in Boötes Several extrasolar planetary systems have been found in the constellation Boötes; the first was discovered in 1997. One star system has two planets. The nomenclature that has been decided upon for planets is to use a lower-case letter after the parent star catalogue number (or name) eg, 'Tau Boötis A b'. This stays with the planet regardless of whether further discoveries are subsequently made within the same solar system, and despite the position of the new planet relative to the star. Therefore, the first-discovered planet of HD 128311 is HD 128311 b, and HD 128311 c was detected later.

The planet HD 128311 b is in the system's 'Goldilocks zone' (habitable zone), but as a gas giant is not a candidate in the search for extra-terrestrial life. However, should the planet have a rocky moon with enough gravity to retain an atmosphere , that would make it a distinct possibility . The figures given in the table below are the length of the planet's orbital period around its parent star, which we know of as a year. The mass of the extrasolar planet is compared with that of Jupiter , our solar system's largest planet, known to astronomers as the 'Jovian scale'. Extrasolar Planets Table

Question: Which constellation contains the bright start Arcturus and is known as “The Herdsman”?
Answer: Bootes