Arcturus
Table of Contents
Arcturus, designation α Boötis, is the brightest star in the constellation of Boötes, the fourth-brightest in the night sky, and the brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere.
Information
Distance to Earth :- 36.66 light years
Radius :- 17.671 million km
Magnitude :- -0.04
Surface temperature :- 4,290 K
Constellation :- Boötes
Spectral type :- K1.5IIIFe-0.5
Declination :- +19° 10′ 56″
Colors
orange
The reddish or orange color of Arcturus signifies its temperature, which is about 7,300 degrees Fahrenheit (around 4,000 degrees Celsius).
Planets
Arcturus does not have any known planets or confirmed substellar companions. The presence of a substellar object with almost 12 times the mass of Jupiter, lying at a distance of 1.1 astronomical units from the star, was suspected in 1993, but has not been confirmed. Arcturus is very easy to find in the night sky.
Composition
Arcturus is deficient in elements such as silicon, aluminum, and iron which are formed in stars. It contains only about a fifth as much of these elements as Sun. These elements are formed inside stars, mixed into the interstellar medium as stars explode, and incorporated into subsequent generations of stars.
Origin
The traditional name Arcturus is derived from the Ancient Greek Ἀρκτοῦρος (Arktouros) and means "Guardian of the Bear", ultimately from ἄρκτος (arktos), "bear" and οὖρος (ouros), "watcher, guardian". The name has been used since at least the time of Hesiod, circa 700 BC.
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