arcturus | EarthSky

Group of stars, long pointed oblong, with a bright star at its narrow end labeled Arcturus.

Arcturus, brightest star of the northern sky

Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern half of the sky. It's easy to find in spring in the Northern Hemisphere near the handle of the Big Dipper.

Constellation with bent arms and legs, and labeled stars.

Hercules is between 2 bright stars: Vega and Arcturus

The bright stars Arcturus and Vega can help you find the constellation Hercules and its Keystone asterism. Hercules is home to 2 fabulous globular clusters.

Star chart: Big Dipper with pink arrows from handle to Arcturus and then to Spica.

Follow the arc to Arcturus, then speed on to Spica

If you only ever learn 1 star mnemonic, make it this one! Arc to Arcturus and speed on to Spica to identify 2 of the sky's brightest stars.

Star chart: Constellation Boötes shaped like long narrow kite with 5 labeled stars.

Boötes the Herdsman and its bright star Arcturus

Boötes the Herdsman is a large constellation that holds one of the brightest stars in the sky, Arcturus. Only 3 other stars in the night sky are brighter.

Arc to Arcturus, spike to Spica

Learn a phrase useful to sky watchers: Follow the arc to Arcturus and drive a spike (or speed on) to Spica.

Arc to Arcturus, a springtime star

Arcturus is one of the easiest stars to find. Late at night in February - earlier as the months pass - just locate the Big Dipper in your northern sky. Then follow the arc in the Dipper's handle to find yellow-orange star Arcturus.

Orange Arcturus sparkles after sunset

On October evenings, look for brilliant Arcturus in the west, flashing in colors. Follow the curve in the Big Dipper’s handle to this yellow-orange star.

Catch Venus, Jupiter, Arcturus at dusk

Look west at dusk throughout September, 2018, for a bright celestial threesome. In order of brightness, they are Venus, Jupiter and the star Arcturus.

Star chart showing relationship between star Arcturus, Spica and Big Dipper.

Arc to Arcturus and spike Spica

Right now, the planets Venus and Jupiter - and the Big Dipper - can help you learn the sky mnemonic follow the arc to Arcturus and drive a spike to Spica.

Kite-shaped constellation Bootes with Arcturus labeled.

Arcturus, a northern springtime star

Orange Arcturus is the constellation Bootes the Herdsman's brightest star. Look for it in the east around nightfall.

Visible planets and night sky guide for June

Visible planets and night sky guide. This evening, Venus and Jupiter shine in the western twilight. See an exciting video about their upcoming conjunction.

Star chart: A human shaped constellation pattern traced on a dark sky, with the star Spica labeled.

Virgo the Maiden represents a harvest goddess

Virgo the Maiden is the largest of the zodiac constellations. It's large and faint, but its brightest star Spica is easy to find.

Two glowing balls near each other and surrounded by an aura of light.

Spica, the bright beacon of Virgo, is 2 stars

Spica is the brightest star in Virgo and a scorching-hot pair of stars, whirling very closely around one another. One of them may go supernova someday.

Star chart: animal-shaped constellation with head at right side and bright star, Regulus, in chest area.

Meet Regulus, Leo the Lion’s Heart and brightest star

The bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion is prominent in the evening sky in May. It looks like a single point of light, but is really 4 stars.

Constellation with arms and legs around a squarish center, and a labeled cluster.

Find the Keystone in Hercules, and the Hercules Cluster M13

Let the bright star Vega guide you to a famous star pattern in Hercules - called the Keystone - and then to the Hercules Cluster, aka M13.

How to see the Northern Crown (Corona Borealis)

Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is an almost-perfect semicircle of stars. Learn to find it and identify its brightest star, and about its mythology.

Will the Blaze Star explode in 2026? How to see it

We're still waiting for the Blaze Star to go nova! Will it happen in 2026? Here's how to find Corona Borealis so you're ready when this star goes kablooey.

A large, round, symmetrical ball of stars, so dense in the middle it appears solid white.

Meet Omega Centauri, a giant globular star cluster

Omega Centauri is the Milky Way's largest globular star cluster. It contains about 10 million stars. Find out how to see this beautiful behemoth here.

A large, spherical cluster containing thousands of bright stars, so dense in the middle it looks solid white.

Meet M13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Many stargazers call it the finest globular cluster in the northern half of the heavens. It's M13, also known as the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules.

Chart with rings around sun at 2, 4, and 6 light-years with labeled stars.

Alpha Centauri, the star system closest to our sun

Our closest stellar neighbors are the 3 stars that make up the Alpha Centauri system. They lie just over 4 light-years away from us.

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Arcturus, brightest star of the northern sky

Hercules is between 2 bright stars: Vega and Arcturus

Follow the arc to Arcturus, then speed on to Spica

Boötes the Herdsman and its bright star Arcturus

Arc to Arcturus, spike to Spica

Arc to Arcturus, a springtime star

Orange Arcturus sparkles after sunset

Catch Venus, Jupiter, Arcturus at dusk

Arc to Arcturus and spike Spica

Arcturus, a northern springtime star

Visible planets and night sky guide for June

Virgo the Maiden represents a harvest goddess

Spica, the bright beacon of Virgo, is 2 stars

Meet Regulus, Leo the Lion’s Heart and brightest star

Find the Keystone in Hercules, and the Hercules Cluster M13

How to see the Northern Crown (Corona Borealis)

Will the Blaze Star explode in 2026? How to see it

Meet Omega Centauri, a giant globular star cluster

Meet M13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Alpha Centauri, the star system closest to our sun