The Constellation Bootes
by Dominic Ford
The constellation Bootes.
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Source: Stellarium.
Source: Stellarium.
Boötes is a large northern constellation, dominated by the fourth brightest star in the whole sky, Arcturus.
Visible in the months around May, it is also home to a further six stars that are brighter than fourth magnitude, and nearly thirty that are visible to the naked eye from a dark site.
It lies well away from the plane of the Milky Way and so does not contain any bright open clusters.
It is, however, home to the ninth-magnitude globular cluster NGC 5466 as well as many faint galaxies.
Boötes is identified as a herdsman, but the origin of his name is unclear. He is commonly represented as Arcas, the son of Zeus and Callisto, who features in the story of Ursa Major the great bear.
Date First Appeared
Ancient
Ancient
Sky Area
2.2% of the sky
906.8 square degrees
2.2% of the sky
906.8 square degrees
Messier Objects
Bootes contains no Messier objects
Bootes contains no Messier objects
Neighbors
The following constellations neighbor Bootes: Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, Corona Borealis, Draco, Hercules, Serpens Caput, Ursa Major, Virgo.
The following constellations neighbor Bootes: Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, Corona Borealis, Draco, Hercules, Serpens Caput, Ursa Major, Virgo.
| Stars | Open Clusters | Globular Clusters | Galaxies |
| Stars | Open Clusters | Globular Clusters | Galaxies |
| Arcturus (mag 0.2) | NGC 5466 (mag 9.2) | NGC 5248 (mag 10.2) | |
| HD (mag 2.5) | NGC 5676 (mag 10.9) | ||
| Muphrid (mag 2.7) | NGC 5557 (mag 11.1) | ||
| Izar (mag 2.7) | NGC 5614 (mag 11.7) | ||
| Seginus (mag 3.0) | NGC 5533 (mag 11.8) | ||
| δ-Boo (mag 3.5) | NGC 5660 (mag 11.8) | ||
| Nekkar (mag 3.5) | NGC 5687 (mag 11.8) | ||
| ρ-Boo (mag 3.6) | NGC 5689 (mag 11.9) | ||
| υ-Boo (mag 4.0) | NGC 5820 (mag 11.9) | ||
| θ-Boo (mag 4.1) | NGC 5532 (mag 12.0) | ||
| λ-Boo (mag 4.2) | NGC 5653 (mag 12.2) | ||
| Alkalurops (mag 4.3) | NGC 5656 (mag 12.4) | ||
| ζ-Boo (mag 4.4) | NGC 5859 (mag 12.5) | ||
| ζ-Boo (mag 4.5) | NGC 5623 (mag 12.5) | ||
| σ-Boo (mag 4.5) | NGC 5665 (mag 12.6) | ||
| τ-Boo (mag 4.5) | IC 1029 (mag 12.7) | ||
| κ²-Boo (mag 4.5) | NGC 5600 (mag 12.7) | ||
| ψ-Boo (mag 4.5) | NGC 5529 (mag 12.9) | ||
| HD (mag 4.5) | NGC 5633 (mag 12.9) | ||
| O-Boo (mag 4.6) | NGC 5582 (mag 13.0) | ||
| ε-Boo (mag 4.7) | NGC 5930 (mag 13.0) | ||
| ξ-Boo (mag 4.7) | NGC 5548 (mag 13.1) | ||
| ι-Boo (mag 4.7) | NGC 5857 (mag 13.1) | ||
| ω-Boo (mag 4.8) | NGC 5544 (mag 13.2) | ||
| A-Boo (mag 4.8) | NGC 5545 (mag 13.2) |