BOOTES

Bootes, the Herdsman, rises, its kite-shaped figure stretching to the left of the bright orange star Arcturus, which lies at center right. North is up and to the left. Izar (Epsilon Boo) is the bright star to the left of and slightly down from Arcturus, while Delta is a bit down and to the left of Izar. Nekkar (Beta) is at the far left end of the kite (at center-left), while Alkalurops (Mu) is down from Nekkar. Seginus (Gamma) is the bright star up and to the left of center. The stars of extreme northwest Bootes (in ascending order, Lambda, Theta, Kappa, and Iota), lie toward the upper left corner near the end of the tail of Ursa Major. The variable W Boo is to the right of Izar, while the pair made of Rho and Sigma (Rho on top) is just up from center. 12 Boo is up and to the left of Arcturus, while Xi Boo is the fifth star down and to the left of the Bootes' luminary. Pi Boo is about halfway down from Arcturus, Muphird at the far right edge about halfway up from center. The close pair to the left of Alkalurops (Mu) is made of Nu-1 (on the right) and Nu-2. 44 Boo is the middle and brightest of the trio near the left center edge. A view shifted a bit to the south shows Zeta and Tau Boo.

Nusakan, in Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, falls just to the left of bottom center, while eastrn Canes Venatici with the cluster Messier 3 lies at the top edge. Near the lower left corner is a flat triangle in far northwestern Hercules from right to left made of Chi, 4, and 2 Herculis.

To see a labelled image, push the star:

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See Bootes from Flamsteed's Atlas Coelestis Edition of 1781.

Bootes has a star with an orbiting PLANET.

Arcturus is part of the Great Diamond.

By Jim Kaler. Return to STARS.