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ers' tool for finding Arcturus.
• By the way, Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern half of the sky and ranks as the fourth-brightest star overall. Only the stars Sirius, Canopus and Alpha Centauri are brighter. Since we can't see Canopus and Alpha Centauri from mid-northern latitudes, that makes Arcturus the second-brightest in our sky. Arcturus is also located fairly far north on the sky's dome, which means you'll find it somewhere in the heavens - at some point during the night - for most of the year. People often see Arcturus and comment on it.
• Arcturus' constellation Bootes can be seen at nightfall in early Northern Hemisphere spring, over your east-northeast horizon. To modern eyes, this star pattern might look more like a snow cone or a kite than it does a person. But Bootes is the Herdsman of skylore. The star Nekkar represents Bootes' head, and the star Seginus depicts his left shoulder. Izar marks his right hip whereas Arcturus highlights the left knee. You're most likely to see the stick figure of Bootes when the moon drops out of the sky several days from now.
• In Greek (and Roman) mythology, Bootes is the son of Demeter (Ceres), the goddess of agriculture. Bootes, often called the Ploughman, is credited for inventing the plow. It is said this ancient constellation commemorates humanity's transition from nomadic to agricultural life.
• Bottom line: On the night of April 24, 2013 look for three objects near the moon. Two are stars: Spica and Arcturus. One is the planet Saturn. Earth will pass between Saturn and the sun on April 28, bringing the planet closest to us for the year and closest until the year 2023. This event is called Saturn's 2013 opposition.
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