Arcturus
Product information
Description
Arcturus blazes with a golden-orange hue, unmistakable in the spring and summer sky. Its warmth and brightness make it one of the most commanding stars visible from Earth.
Additional Information
- Constellation
- Boötes
- Spectral Type
- K1.5III
- Apparent Magnitude
- -0.05
- Distance (Light Years)
- 36.7
- Right Ascension
- 14h 15m 39.7s
- Declination
- +19° 10′ 56″
- Solar Masses
- 1.08
- Radius (Solar)
- 25.4
- Temperature (Kelvin)
- 4286
- Age (Million Years)
- 7300
Discovery
- Ancient Civilizations
- Greeks, Romans, Babylonians
- Historical Significance
- Arcturus was one of the earliest stars to be identified by ancient civilizations. Its name comes from the Greek 'Arktouros,' meaning 'Guardian of the Bear,' because of its proximity to the Ursa Major constellation. It played an important role in ancient agriculture as a seasonal marker.
Cultural Significance
- Mythology
- In Greek mythology, Arcturus was associated with the herdsman Boötes, who follows the Great Bear across the sky. It also featured prominently in various Polynesian, Arabic, and Hindu sky lore.
- Navigation
- As the fourth-brightest star in the night sky and the brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere, Arcturus was a reliable navigational guide, especially for seafarers across Europe and the Pacific.
- Modern Reference
- Arcturus was famously used to open the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, with its light focused onto a photoelectric cell to symbolically bridge past and future. It remains a popular star for amateur astronomers and educators.
Notable Features
- Stellar Motion
- Arcturus has one of the highest proper motions of any first-magnitude star, moving rapidly across the sky relative to its neighbors.
- Additional Fact
- Arcturus is an aging red giant nearing the end of its stellar life and is on a trajectory that suggests it may not be originally from the Milky Way’s disk but possibly from a disrupted dwarf galaxy.
User Dedications
- Dedications
- This star has not been claimed yet. Be the first to dedicate it to someone special!