star · Boötes · a plate in Stars
Arcturus
α Boötis
A later name in the widening. Color again, this time one sun, not two.
The bear-warden. Spring’s orange lamp. Neighbor to Izar in the same herdsman.
Astronomy · astrophysics
- Magnitude
- −0.05
- Distance
- 36.7 light-years
- Spectrum
- K1.5 III
- Coordinates
- 14h 16m · +19° 11′
A single orange giant, among the nearest of its kind.
A K-type giant at 36.7 ly. Apparent magnitude about −0.05. High proper motion. A spectral standard.
Among the nearest orange giants. Single to the eye.
Historical story · observation
A star that would not stay put
- 1718Halley compared ancient catalogues with the sky he had and found that Arcturus had moved. Proper motion became a fact of the star, not a fault of the scribe.
Living
The herdsman’s main lamp. Izar is the color-pair in the same figure.
Sources
- SIMBAD
- Gaia
Choir
Rotanev · SualocinSiriusIzar · PulcherrimaThubanCapellaRigelMeropeTolimanM42Jupiter · IoSpicaFomalhautArcturusAlhenaCanopusWorking choir · not a planetarium