Arcturus, brightest star in the Herdsman
Print Me Email to FriendTonight's Sky for Tuesday, Apr 01 2008
On March 24, we showed you how to locate the brilliant orange star Arcturus, by following the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle.
Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Bootes the Herdsman, ranks as the fourth-brightest star in the night sky. Only the stars Sirius, Canopus and Alpha Centauri are brighter. Since we can’t see Canopus and Alpha Centauri from mid-northern latitudes, that makes Arcturus the second-brightest in our sky. Arcturus is also located fairly far to the north of the sky’s dome, which means you’ll find it somewhere in the heavens – at some point during the night – for most of the year. People often see Arcturus and comment on it.
Bootes has recently awakened from his winter slumbers. At nightfall in early spring, this heavenly personage is seen in a reclining position over your east-northeast horizon. To modern eyes, this kite-shaped configuration might look more like a snow cone than it does a person. To envision what this constellation looked like to our ancestors, we link you to Anne Wright’s Bootes page. The star Nekkar represents Bootes’ head, and the star Seginus depicts his left shoulder. Izar marks his right hip whereas Arcturus highlights the left knee.
In Greek (and Roman) mythology, Bootes is the son of Demeter (Ceres), the goddess of agriculture. Bootes, often called the Ploughman, is credited for inventing the plow. It is said this ancient constellation commemorates humanity’s transition from nomadic to agricultural life.
