Arcturus was an alternate name of this constellation. It is not clear which came first, seeing Ursa Major and Minor as bears, or the idea of the star Arcturus as a guardian of bears. In a completely different interpretation, ancient Chinese astronomers also placed significance on Arcturus. The full moon appearing near Arcturus was a sign of the new Chinese year. Arcturus was also very important in Chinese celestial mythology because it is the brightest star in the northern sky, and marked the beginning of the lunar calendar.
Flanking Daijiao were the constellations of Yousheti on the right and Zuosheti on the left, which represented the companions that orchestrated the seasons. These are all representations of weapons — Tianqiang , the spear; Genghe , variously representing a lance or shield; Xuange , the halberd; and Zhaoyao , either the sword or the spear.
Bootes can be found south of Ursa Major, just off the handle of the Big Dipper. Because the Big Dipper is easy for most observers to find, the handle is used to point to other important stars. The other star — Spica — is part of the neighboring Virgo constellation.
For those using binoculars, check out Tau Bootis, a yellow-white dwarf approximately 51 light-years from Earth. It is a binary star system, with the secondary star being a red dwarf. In , an extrasolar planet was confirmed to be orbiting the primary star by a team of astronomers led by Geoff Marcy and R. Paul Butler. It ranges from 6. For those using telescopes, there are plenty of excellent binary star systems to be seen. The AB binary can be resolved even through smaller telescopes.
The primary star A has been identified as a candidate for possessing a Kuiper-like belt, based on infrared observations. The estimated minimum mass of this dust disk is 2. They complete one orbit about their common center of mass every years. This class XII, 9th magnitude globular was discovered in by Sir William Herschel and presents an nice challenge for experienced stargazers and amateur astronomers.
Or try compact spiral galaxy NGC NGC is a globular cluster that was first discovered by William Herschel in It is mostly notable because it contains a blue horizontal branch of stars and is as metal poor as regular globular clusters. NGC is approximately 51, light years from Earth.
It lies about 52, light years from the Galactic centre and is believed to be the source of a star stream called the 45 Degree Tidal Stream. Its magnitude varies between 3. They were apparently depicted as the god Enlil, who was the leader of the Babylonian pantheon and special patron of farmers. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
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