Star profile

Zeta Boötis

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

What is Zeta Boötis

ζ Boötis lies within the Herdsman, not far from amber Arcturus. It is a multiple system 176 light-years away: two blue-white stars circling each other every 125 years, joined by a more distant third companion. Its crisp light comes from young A3 subgiants, hot and quickly rotating, still far from maturity.

Where it is and when to see it

Zeta 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 April, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 52° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 63° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 42° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 76° S.

It ranks no. 8 in brightness among the 88 stars of Boötes in our catalogue. To find it, start from Arcturus, the brightest: it lies about 8° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 180 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Zeta Boötis

Constellation: Boötes
Apparent magnitude: 3.78
Distance: 175.8 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 220.287° · Dec 13.728°
Catalogue: HIP 71795 · HD 129246

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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