| Boötes | |
| File:Bootes constellation map small.png larger image | |
| Abbreviation | Boo |
| Genitive | Boötis |
| Meaning in English | the Herdsman |
| Right ascension | 15 h |
| Declination | 30° |
| Visible to latitude | Between 90° and −50° |
| Best visible | June |
| Area - Total | Ranked 13th 907 sq. deg. |
| Number of stars with apparent magnitude < 3 | 3 |
| Brightest star - Apparent magnitude | Arcturus (α Boötis) −0.04 |
| Meteor showers | |
| Bordering constellations | |
Boötes, the herdsman, is one of the 88 modern constellations and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. It contains the fourth brightest star in the night sky, Arcturus.
The constellation is located between 0° and +60° declination, 13 and 16 hours of right ascension on the celestial sphere.
Notable features
The name Arcturus, the alpha star of Boötes, means bear driver. It is a zero magnitude red giant and is the fourth brightest star as seen from Earth in the night sky. It is one of the vertices of the Spring Triangle, the other two being Spica (α Virginis) and Denebola (β Leonis).
Izar (ε Boo), having an apparent magnitude of 2.7, is the third brightest star in the constellation. It is actually a binary star and has a companion of 5.12m.
The meteor shower Quadrantids within this constellation is named after the defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis (which is now a part of Boötes).
Notable deep sky objects
The one deep sky object in Bootes is NGC 5466, a loose globular cluster that can be observed with most telescopes. It was discovered by William Herschel on May 17, 1784.
Mythology
Exactly whom Boötes is supposed to represent is not clear. According to one version, he was a ploughman who drove the oxen in the constellation Ursa Major using his two dogs Chara and Asterion (from the constellation Canes Venatici). The oxen were tied to the polar axis and so the action of Boötes kept the heavens in constant rotation.
Boötes was also supposed to have invented the plough. This is said to have greatly pleased Ceres, the goddess of agriculture who asked Jupiter to give Boötes a permanent fixture in the heavens as a reward for doing this.
Another version portrays Boötes as a grape grower called Icarius, who one day allowed the Roman god Bacchus to inspect his vineyards. Bacchus revealed the secret of wine making to Icarius, who was so impressed by this alcoholic beverage that he invited his friends round to sample it. Having never tasted wine before, they all drank too much and woke up the next morning with terrible hangovers; and they made the mistaken assumption that Icarius had tried to poison them. It was decided that Icarius should pay the price with his own life, and he was swiftly murdered in his sleep.