Bootes

Bootes star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)

One of the 88 IAU constellations. The term

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation ...

Origin of Constellation

Greco-Roman

Aratos

[91] Behind Helice there comes, like a man driving, Arctophylax, whom men call Bootes, because he is seen to be just touching the Wagon-Bear. All of him is very conspicuous; below his belt circles Arcturus itself, a star distinct from the rest.

[580?] No longer great on both sides of the horizon is Arctophylax but only the lesser portion is visible, while the greater part is wrapt in night. For with four signs of the Zodiac Boötes sets and is received in the bosom of ocean; and when he is sated with the light he takes till past midnight in the loosing of this oxen, in the season when he sets with the sinking sun. Those nights are named after his late setting. So these stars are setting, but another, facing them, no dim star, even Orion with glittering belt and shining shoulders and trusting in the might of his sword, and brining all the River, rises from the other horn, the East.

[607] Nor can the rising Claws [Libra], though faintly shining, pass unremarked, when at a bound the mighty sign of Boötes rises, jeweled with Arcturus.

(Kidd 1997)

Eratosthenes

Var. 1:

Var. 2:

(Pamias and Zucker 2013)

Almagest Boώrης

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Βοώτου ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Bootes
1	τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ χειρὶ γ’ ὁ προηγούμενος.	The most advanced of the three in the left arm	kap Boo
2	ὁ μέσος καὶ νοτιώτερος τῶν τριῶν	The middle and southernmost of the three	iot Boo
3	ὁ ἑπόμευος τῶν τριῶν.	The rearmost of the three	tet Boo
4	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀγκῶνος.	The star on the left elbow	lam Boo
5	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ὥμου	The star on the left shoulder	gam Boo
6	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς:	The star on the head	bet Boo
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ὥμου	The star on the right shoulder	del Boo
	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ κολλορόβου	The one to the north of these, on the staff	mu Boo
	ὁ ἔτι τούτου βορειότερος ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ κολλορόβου.	The one farther to the north again of th is, on the tip of the staff	nu Boo
	τῶν ὑποκάτω τοῦ ὤμου ἐν τῷ ῥοπάλῳ β ὁ βορειότερος.	The northernmost of the two stars below the shoulder, m the club	eta Boo
	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of them	omi Boo
	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς δεξιᾶς χειρός	The star on the end of the right arm	45 Boo
	ὁ τῶν ἐν τῷ καρπῷ δύο ὁ ἠγούμενος	The more advanced of the two stars in the wrist	psi Boo
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	46 Boo
	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς λαβῆς τοῦ κολλορόβου.	The star on the end of the handle of the staff	omega Boo
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ μηροῦ ἐν τῷ περιξώματι	The star on the right thigh, in the apron	eps Boo
	τῶν ἐν τῇ ζώνῃ δύο ὁ ἐπόμευος.	T he· rearmost of the two stars in the belt	sig Boo
	ὁ προηφούμενος αὐτῶν.	T he· rearmost of the two stars in the belt	rho Boo
	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς πτέρυης	The star on the right heel	zet Boo
	τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ κυήμῃ ἡ’ ὁ βόρειος	The northernmost of the 3 stars in the left lower leg	eta Boo
	ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν	The middle one of the three	tau Boo
	ὁ φότιος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of them	ups Boo
	ἀστέρες κβ, ὥν γ μεγέθους ὅ, δ’ ὅ, ε θ.	22 stars, 4 of the third magnitude, 9 of the fourth, 9 of the fifth
	Ὁ ὑπ’ αὐτὸν ἀμόρφωτος.
	ὁ μεταξὺ τῶν μηρῶν ὁ καλούμενος Ἀρκτοῦρος ὑπόκιρρος	The star between the thighs, called 'Arcturus', reddish	alf Boo
	ἀστὴρ α μεγέθους α'	1 star of the first magnitude

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)