Chasing Arcturus: Why Do You Twinkle, Little Star?

The star Arcturus, seen through a telescope. Picture copyright Robert J. Vanderbei

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Right now stargazers have the perfect chance to find an unusual speeding star by remembering this phrase: Follow the arc to Arcturus.

The key is the Big Dipper, a familiar grouping of stars that is currently in the northeastern sky in mid-evening.

If you draw an imaginary line from the Dipper’s handle, your eye should settle on a bright, orange star—congratulations, you found Arcturus!

This star, some 37 light-years from Earth, is noteworthy because—unlike most of its stellar kin—it is cutting perpendicularly across the relatively flat disk of the Milky Way. That means, millions of years from now, the star will have moved out of Earth’s line of sight.

Interested in observing Arcturus this spring? Consider the following:

by Robert J. Vanderbei

DIRECCION: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2011/

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