Star profile

13 Boötis

Variable star

3D likeness based on its real data · class M · ~3,200 K

What is 13 Boötis

13 Boötis is a red M-type giant, variable and serene, some 549 light-years away along the slopes of the Herdsman —that celestial shepherd who drives the northern constellations—. Its cool surface dyes the light a deep orange and its brightness fluctuates with the slow rhythm characteristic of old swollen stars. The light reaching us today set out when Spanish conquistadors were landing on the coasts of Mexico.

Where it is and when to see it

13 Boötis lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is March, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it never sets and culminates about 88° up.
From New York it never sets and culminates about 81° up.
From Sydney it culminates about 7° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 41° S.

It ranks no. 37 in brightness among the 88 stars of Boötes in our catalogue. To find it, start from Arcturus, the brightest: it lies about 30° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 550 years ago.

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Astronomical data for 13 Boötis

Constellation: Boötes
Apparent magnitude: 5.26
Distance: 549.2 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 212.072° · Dec 49.458°
Catalogue: HIP 69068 · HD 123782

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Other stars in Boötes

Boötes has 88 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 88 stars in Boötes