- Stars with a name
- Arcturus
Arcturus
α Boötis
Arcturus is an orange giant, in the constellation Boötes. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1989.
Where to find it
From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it is best seen in the evening sky in March, April, May, June, and July.
Bright enough to see even from a city. Apparent magnitude -0.05.
What it’s like
It gives off 116 times as much light as the Sun.
Its surface is at about 4,200 degrees.
It is 36.7 light years away: 347 trillion kilometres.
It is the star of people born around 1989: the light that left it then is reaching Earth now.