The constellation Boötes is a collection of stars with a rich history and a great celestial significance relative to the planet Earth. It is a constellation that can be easily found by following the curved line formed by the handle of the Big Dipper southward. From this, an observer will happen upon Arcterus, the brightest and most recognized star of the constellation, at about +20 degrees from the celestial equator. [5] On Earth, it is visible between +90 degrees (The North Pole) and -50 degrees latitude. [1]

Constellation

Boötes contains several stars that ultimately form its overall shape. Arcterus (Alpha), Nekkar (Beta), Seginus (Gamma), Izar (Epsilon), and Mufrid (Eta) are among notable candidates. [1] Among them Arcterus is by far the most perceptible, given that it is the fourth brightest star in the night sky. It lies 36.7 lightyears from the local star system, making it fairly close in galactic comparison. It is an orange-red giant star that is in a later stage in its life than the sun, having exhausted much of its hydrogen fuel for thermonuclear fusion. The star is now in a phase in its life where it primarily uses helium for fusion, churning out carbon and oxygen as byproducts. Its aging process has been likely accelerated due to its mass being 150% of our home star, resulting in a greater nucleosynthetic rate. This process also came with the consequence of being a much brighter and larger star than the sun, with a luminosity 113 times greater and a radius 24.5 times larger. [2] The combined factors of its impressive brightness and distance from Earth are a likely cause for its brilliant place in our night sky.

Mythology

In mythology, Boötes has taken several forms, but still maintains a common theme of naturalism across most cultures in which it appears. Even in Greek mythology, multiple interpretations exist as to how Boötes came to be. In one legend, Boötes is seen as the son of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. In this context Boötes invents the plough in order to assist in the tilling of the soil. His personal placement among the stars was his reward for his service to mankind. [4] Another story depicts Boötes as originating from the story of Icarius. Icarius was taught the secrets of wine-making by the god Dyionysius. When Icarius generously shared his products with the people of Athens, they got extremely drunk off the high quality of the concoction. They mistook the drunken stupor for poison and murdered Icarius. His daughter, Erigone, distraught over his death, killed herself as well. Zeus supposedly allocated her to the heavens as Virgo and Icarius as Boötes. Maera, a dog that led Erigone to the grave of Icarius, is seen as one of the dogs of Canes Venatici. [3]

In many cultures, Boötes is considered to be closely associated with Ursa Major, due to the proximity in which Arcterus trails the other constellation. In Greek, the name Boötes is sometimes interpreted as “Bear Driver”, corresponding to this fact. [1] In England, Ursa Major was seen as a plough. In parts of Arabia and Native America, it was depicted an animal or animals. In China it was seen as a wagon. These associations all converged on Boötes' ability to tame or harness Ursa Major. [4] It is now commonly referred to as “The Shepard”, which may be considered as a generalization for the diverse naturalistic roles the constellation has played through out a multitude of cultures throughout history. [5]

Other Notable Bodies

There are few easily observable galaxies, globular clusters, and/or nebulas in the region of the sky immediately associated around Boötes, perhaps attributing to a corresponding void in space.

Pictures

Constellation Structure

Comparison of Sol and Arcturus in size

Citation

[1] http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Bootes.html

[2] http://www.solstation.com/stars2/arcturus.htm

[3] http://www.heavens-above.com/myth.aspx?con=boo&lat=0&lng=0&loc=B&alt=0&tz=CET

[4] http://www.clarkfoundation.org/astro-utah/vondel/bootes.html

[5] Teach Yourself Astronomy, David Evans, 1954