The Springtime Constellation Bootes and M3

Bootes, Arcturus and M3

Spring marks the arrival of the constellation Bootes and the brilliant orange giant star Arcturus. Looking east shortly after sunset, Arcturus is immediately visible as the brightest celestial object in that part of the sky, and Bootes is easy to spot alongside the star and bordering the Big Dipper.

Bootes is an ancient constellation named for a herdsman, and it's his twin brother that drives the plough in the Big Dipper (as the constellation is referred to as a plough in some cultures). Bootes himself is marked by the familiar pattern to the right, sometimes called an ice-cream-cone-shape or a kite with Arcturus at the tip of the tail of the kite.

One of the features of Bootes is that it is a quick guide to one of the most impressive globular clusters visible from the Northern Hemisphere, M3. This cluster is in the halo of the Milky Way galaxy and like its famous neighbor M13 (the Great Globular Cluster), is a densely packed region with half a million stars, 34,000 light years above the disk of the Milky Way. In binoculars or a telescope it is a marvelous sight and one that is a worthwhile endeavor to seek on a dark night.

Astro Bob has an excellent article on Bootes so enjoy his view for another perspective.

Image courtesy Astro Bob.