Star profile

Arcturus

Alpha Boötis · Boötes

Nearby star

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is Arcturus

Arcturus burns with an ancient orange in the constellation of Boötes, only 36.7 light-years away —one of the closest orange giants to our Solar System. Its name, from the Greek «guardian of the bear», speaks of its endless pursuit of Ursa Major across the night sky. The light reaching the eye tonight set out when the first mobile phones fit in a pocket and no one spoke yet of social networks.

Where it is and when to see it

Arcturus lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is one of the brightest stars in the sky: visible even from a city. Its best month of the year is April: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.

Find it on the sky map

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The signature wall

Stelvia's sky works like a signature wall: anyone can leave their name and a message on a real star, and that signature goes up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.

A signature without a lock can be replaced by someone else's. The lock makes the signature permanent and lets you choose a symbolic name for the star, always shown next to the star's catalogue identifier. How the lock works

If you don't have an account yet, we'll ask for an email to confirm it's you: we send you a link and that's it, no password.

Write my signature

A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.

Astronomical data for Arcturus

Constellation: Boötes
Apparent magnitude: -0.05
Distance: 36.7 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 213.915° · Dec 19.182°
Catalogue: HIP 69673 · HD 124897

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Boötes

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

See all 88 stars in Boötes