Star profile
Xi Boötis
Variable starWhat is Xi Boötis
Xi Boötis is one of the Herdsman's closest stars: barely 22 light-years separate us from this yellow type G sun, practically a cosmic stone's throw. Its variable surface stems from intense magnetic activity, much like solar spots but fiercer, and it forms a visual pair with a small orange dwarf that follows it closely. In the nineteenth century William Herschel already gauged the slow turning of this celebrated pair.
Where it is and when to see it
Xi 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 58° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 68° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 37° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 71° S.
It ranks no. 18 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 22 years ago.
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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 Xi Boötis
- Constellation
- Boötes
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.54
- Distance
- 21.9 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 222.847° · Dec 19.100°
- Catalogue
- HIP 72659 · HD 131156
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Other stars in Boötes
Boötes has 88 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- ArcturusAlpha Boötis-0.05
- IzarEpsilon Boötis2.35
- MuphridEta Boötis2.68
- Tau Boötis4.50
- Psi Boötis4.52
- Kappa 2 Boötis4.53
- Omicron Boötis4.60
- Iota Boötis4.75