Star Constellations-Bootes
Created | Updated Feb 2, 2003
Boötes the Herdsman
There is a more standardized h2g2as version of this page
at A946415 what follows below is the earlier version.
Constellations
Before the advent of city lights drowning out the heavens there were men who walked this earth and looked up in wonder at the night sky. They connected the dots of light above them and created pictures in the mind. Some of these creations gained widespread acceptance and were taught by Magi and others. Today 88 of these Constellations are internationally accepted. You can find a list of them on external sites like
this one. This article deals with a Northern Constellation named Boötes. For more on Constellations see
the Legg M S planetarium pageINsert here
Genitive: Bootis
Short form: Boo
Area: 907 square degrees
When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock I go after it with a club.
I Samuel 17 34 (NLT)
The Name Boötes is pronounced with both vowels sounding making it three sylables.bo oh tees. The name appears in Greek mythology. One source says it means "ox driver". The constellation however was apparently here long before the Greeks.
It's brightest star is Arcturus at 19 ° 27' N and
RA 14 hrs 13.4 minutes. For more on what RA And Declination mean seeThis link The herdsman has a snake serpens nearby and his dogs Canes Venatici. Also in the sky not far away are a Lion and a Bear. Those watching their flocks or tending their oxen had to deal with snakes and bears and lions, so it is natural that they should include these in their constellations. As to Boötes some say he is herding the other constellations around the pole. Or perhaps he is just herding the bears. The Great Bear is just ahead of him. Also just over his shoulder is
The Northern Crown. Somehow it seems to fit with a herdsman. The Greek Poet Homer spoke of a mariner guiding his ship with the Pleides and the Bear and Boötes.
The Romans seemed to consider the herdsman to be hunting the Great Bear.
In 1922 The Quadrantid meteors were rezoned to Boötes after the Constellation QUADRANS MURALIS was removed by the IAU as it developed it's official list of constellations. On a really dark starlit night the first week in January one watching this shower at it's peak might see over 100 meteors per hour.
This entry is part of the
h2g2as constellations project.
| Star | Name | Brightness (m) | Distance (lightyears) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| α Boo | Arcturus(Guarder of the Bear) | 0.16 | 36 | Brightest Star N. Of the Zodiac. |
| β Boo | Nekkar | 3.48 | 219 | Cattleman |
| γ Boo | Seginus | 3.04 | 85 | Near the dogs |
| τ Boo | no common name | 4.49 | 58 | has a planet |
| ε Boo | Izar(girdle) | 2.35 | 210 | Beautiful Double |
| μ Boo | Alkalurops(Shepherd's Crook) | 4.3 | 121 | Multiple Star System |
References
