Star profile

Seginus

Gamma Boötis · Boötes

Variable star

3D likeness based on its real data · class A · ~8,500 K

What is Seginus

Seginus, white and slightly variable, shines at 86 light-years from the Earth in the constellation of Boötes, not far from bright Arcturus, its powerful celestial neighbour. It belongs to those stars that have received different names across cultures without truly settling on any one: the current form is a corruption, passed down through medieval copyists, of the very Greek «Boötes» that names the constellation as a whole. Its near-constant light, to the ordinary human eye, has been travelling toward us for little more than three human generations through the dark of interstellar space.

Where it is and when to see it

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

From London it culminates about 77° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 88° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 18° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 52° S.

It ranks no. 4 in brightness among the 88 stars of Boötes in our catalogue. To find it, start from Arcturus, the brightest: it lies about 19° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 87 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Seginus

Constellation: Boötes
Apparent magnitude: 3.04
Distance: 86.8 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 218.020° · Dec 38.308°
Catalogue: HIP 71075 · HD 127762

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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