Boötes (/bootiz/ boh-OH-teez) is a northern sky constellation that lies between 0° and +60° declination and 13 and 16 hours of right ascension on the celestial sphere. The name derives from the Latin Bots, which is derived from the Greek o Bots, which means 'herdsman' or 'ploughman.'
Boötes is one of the eighty-eight current constellations and was one of the forty-eight constellations described by Claudius Ptolemy. The orange giant Arcturus is the fourth brightest star in the night sky. Epsilon Boötis, often known as Izar, is a bright multiple star that is famous among amateur astronomers. Many other bright stars may be found in Boötes, including eight above fourth magnitude and another twenty-one above the fifth magnitude, for a total of twenty-nine stars visible to the naked eye.
Boötes is one of the eighty-eight current constellations and was one of the forty-eight constellations described by Claudius Ptolemy. The orange giant Arcturus is the fourth brightest star in the night sky. Epsilon Boötis, often known as Izar, is a bright multiple star that is famous among amateur astronomers. Many other bright stars may be found in Boötes, including eight above fourth magnitude and another twenty-one above the fifth magnitude, for a total of twenty-nine stars visible to the naked eye.
Mythology
The stars of Boötes were known as SHU.PA in ancient Babylon. They were represented as the Babylonian god Enlil, who was the leader of the pantheon and a special patron of farmers (White 2008). In ancient Egypt, Boötes may have been symbolised by the animal foreleg constellation, which resembled the foreleg of an ox enough to be proposed as the "foreleg of the ox" by Berio. (Berio Alessandro 2014) In the Odyssey, Homer mentions Boötes as a celestial navigational reference, describing it as "late-setting" or "slow to set." (Mandelbaum 1990) It is unclear who Boötes is supposed to symbolise in Greek mythology. He was a son of Demeter, (Levy 1996) Philomenus, twin brother of Plutus, a ploughman who drove the oxen in the constellation Ursa Major, according to one story. (Ridpath 2021) This corresponds to the name of the constellation. (Levy 1996). The asterism today known as the "Big Dipper,” or "Plough" was viewed by ancient Greeks as a waggon drawn by oxen. (Thompson & Thompson 2007). According to legend, Boötes invented the plough and was honoured as a constellation for his ingenuity. (Pasachoff 2000) |
Non-western astronomy
The stars of Boötes have been included in a variety of Chinese constellations. Arcturus was a member of the most famous of them, known as the celestial king's throne (Tian Wang) or the Blue Dragon's horn (Daijiao); Daijiao, which means "big horn," is the most frequent term. Because of its role as the brightest star in the northern night sky and as the beginning of the lunar calendar, Arcturus was accorded enormous importance in Chinese celestial mythology.
Daijiao was flanked by two constellations: Yousheti to the right and Zuosheti to the left, both of which signified companions who coordinated the seasons. Yousheti was created from modern Eta, Tau, and Upsilon Boötis, whereas Zuosheti was created from modern Zeta, Omicron, and Pi Boötis. Dixi, the Emperor's ceremonial feast carpet, was located north of Arcturus and was made up of the stars 12, 11 and 9 Boötis. Qigong, or the Seven Dukes, was another northern constellation that primarily straddled the Boötes-Hercules line. It had either a Delta or a Beta Boötis as a terminal.
Other Chinese constellations made up of Boötes stars existed in the north of the contemporary constellation; they are all depictions of weapons. Iota, Kappa, and Theta Boötis combined to make Tianqiang, the spear; Epsilon, Rho, and Sigma Boötis combined to form Genghe, a lance or shield.
Two weapons were likewise made from a sole star. Lambda Boötis symbolised Xuange, the halberd, and Gamma Boötis represented Zhaoyao, either the sword or the spear.
Boötes has an ambiguous location for two Chinese constellations. The lake of Kangchi was said to be located south of Arcturus, though its exact location is unknown. It could have been totally in Boötes, or on either side of the Boötes-Virgo or Virgo-Libra line. The stars 1, 2 and 6 Boötis were occasionally described as the constellation Zhouding, a bronze tripod-mounted container used for food. It has, however, been linked to three stars in Coma Berenices.
Native American societies are also familiar with Boötes. Boötes is Taluyaq in Yup'ik, which means "fish trap," and Ilulirat is the funnel-shaped component of the fish trap.
Characteristics
Boötes is bounded on the south by Virgo, on the west by Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici, on the northwest by Ursa Major, on the northeast by Draco, and on the east by Hercules, Corona Borealis, and Serpens Caput.
The International Astronomical Union selected the three-letter abbreviation "Boo" for the constellation in 1922. (Russell 1922) A polygon of sixteen segments defines the official constellation limits, which were established by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte in 1930. These borders' right ascension coordinates range from 13h 36.1m to 15h 49.3m in the equatorial coordinate system, while their declination coordinates range from +7.36° to +55.1°. Boötes, which covers 907 square degrees and reaches its peak around midnight on May 2nd, ranks 13th in terms of area. (Bakich 1995)
Its star pattern has been compared to a kite or an ice cream cone in the past. (Polakis 2009) However, historical portrayals of Boötes have varied. He was circling the north pole, herding the two bears, according to Aratus. Ptolemy describes later ancient Greek images of him holding the reins of his hunting dogs (Canes Venatici) in his left hand and a spear, club, or staff in his right. Boötes was frequently represented standing atop the Peloponnese Mountain after Hevelius introduced Mons Maenalus in 1681. Boötes had acquired a sickle by the time Johann Bode published his Uranographia in 1801, and he held it in his left hand.
The position of Arcturus has shifted over the millennia as well. Arcturus was traditionally shown as lying between his thighs, as depicted by Ptolemy. Germanicus Caesar, on the other hand, broke from tradition by putting Arcturus "where his clothing is fastened by a knot."
Boötes is bounded on the south by Virgo, on the west by Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici, on the northwest by Ursa Major, on the northeast by Draco, and on the east by Hercules, Corona Borealis, and Serpens Caput.
The International Astronomical Union selected the three-letter abbreviation "Boo" for the constellation in 1922. (Russell 1922) A polygon of sixteen segments defines the official constellation limits, which were established by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte in 1930. These borders' right ascension coordinates range from 13h 36.1m to 15h 49.3m in the equatorial coordinate system, while their declination coordinates range from +7.36° to +55.1°. Boötes, which covers 907 square degrees and reaches its peak around midnight on May 2nd, ranks 13th in terms of area. (Bakich 1995)
Its star pattern has been compared to a kite or an ice cream cone in the past. (Polakis 2009) However, historical portrayals of Boötes have varied. He was circling the north pole, herding the two bears, according to Aratus. Ptolemy describes later ancient Greek images of him holding the reins of his hunting dogs (Canes Venatici) in his left hand and a spear, club, or staff in his right. Boötes was frequently represented standing atop the Peloponnese Mountain after Hevelius introduced Mons Maenalus in 1681. Boötes had acquired a sickle by the time Johann Bode published his Uranographia in 1801, and he held it in his left hand.
The position of Arcturus has shifted over the millennia as well. Arcturus was traditionally shown as lying between his thighs, as depicted by Ptolemy. Germanicus Caesar, on the other hand, broke from tradition by putting Arcturus "where his clothing is fastened by a knot."
Deep sky objects
Main sequence stars – 7 Bayer stars – 59 Stars with planets – 10 Stars brighter than magnitude 3.0 – 3 Stars within 32Ly – 3 |
Bordering Constellations
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