Located relatively close at 36.7 light-years from the Sun, Arcturus is a red giant of spectral type K1.5III—an aging star around 7.1 billion years old that has used up its core hydrogen and evolved off the main sequence.

Feb 11, 2022 · Arcturus is a red giant star in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth 's sky and the brightest star in the constellation Boötes (the herdsman). Arcturus is also among the brightest stars that...

Jun 9, 2023 · Arcturus is one of the most luminous stars in our neighbourhood. In visible light, its energy output is 110 times that of the Sun, but much of the star’s output is in infrared wavelengths because it has a lower surface temperature than the Sun. Its total luminosity amounts to about 180 times solar. Arcturus has a J band magnitude of -2.2.

At 37 light-years away, Arcturus is much closer to us than some of the other red giants, like Betelgeuse or Antares. It also means that its rapid movement through the sky (122 km/s), in comparison with our solar system, is noticeable at approximately 2.3″ per year.

Star System and Size. Arcturus is an orange giant star of the spectral type K0 III and is the brightest class K giant in the sky, with an absolute magnitude of about -0.30. It has around the same mass as the Sun, only 1.08 times the mass, yet is 25.4 times its size.

Arcturus may be a Population II star and a member of the Milky Way galaxy's thick disk. The thick disk is generally formed of old stars that may lie several thousand light-years (ly) above or below the galactic plane, unlike thin disk stars such as Sol which typically lie within a thousand ly.

Feb 22, 2024 · Uncover the secrets of Arcturus, the fourth brightest star in our night sky, in this comprehensive blog post. Learn about its unique characteristics, history, mythology, and influence on human culture throughout time.

May 9, 2024 · Arcturus is a red giant star located only 36.7 light-years away. It’s the 4th-brightest star in the sky and the brightest one in the northern half of the sky. Look for it on spring evenings...

Aug 31, 2014 · Arcturus is only slightly brighter than Vega, the second brightest northern star. It is the third individual brightest star in the sky because it outshines the individual components of the Alpha Centauri system. It lies relatively close to Earth, at a distance of only 36.7 light years from the solar system.

Red giant Arcturus is located 37 light years away from the Sun. It is a single star of spectral class K1.5IIIFe-0.5, that has 108 % of solar mass. For now, there are no known exoplanets in this star system.