The June Bootids are a lesser-known meteor shower. It is a bit of a gamble to see a burst of activity at the shower’s peak on Tuesday night. On any given year we expect a handful of blazing streaks. But in 1998, a surge caused nearly 100 meteors an hour.
The radiant point of the meteor shower is the constellation Bootes. We characterize Bootes as a herdsman, although its pattern of stars looks more like a large kite, anchored by a red giant star.
To find Bootes, follow the handle of the Big Dipper in an arc south to the glowing red-orange star Arcturus. This marks the base of the constellation’s kite shape. Arcturus translates to “keeper of the bear” from the Greek legends of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the big and little bears. It is the brightest star in Bootes. It is also the closest star in the constellation to us.
Arcturus appears to be moving swiftly across the dome of our sky. Edmund Halley, of Halley’s Comet fame, first saw this rapid motion in 1718. The movement is so speedy, about 65 miles per second, that Arcturus will be at its closest to Earth in about 4,000 years. Ancient astronomers might be surprised to see the comparatively lengthened kite tail, or base, that we observe today.
First Published: June 27, 2023, 9:30 a.m.