SkyRef / Stars

Arcturus

Magnitude -0.04, orange-red. One of the very brightest stars in the entire sky.

The numbers

Magnitude-0.04
Colourorange-red
Right ascension14.261h
Declination+19.18°
B−V index1.23
CatalogueHR 5340

What you are looking at

Arcturus shines at magnitude -0.04, making it one of the very brightest stars in the entire sky. Its B−V colour index of 1.23 makes it orange-red to the eye, corresponding to a surface temperature of under 4,000 K.

It sits at right ascension 14.26 hours and declination +19.2°. It straddles the celestial equator, so it is visible from essentially anywhere on Earth at the right time of year.

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Other named stars

SiriusCanopusArcturusRigil KentaurusVegaCapellaRigelProcyonAchernarBetelgeuseHadarAltairAldebaranAntaresSpicaPolluxFomalhautMimosaDenebAcruxRegulusAdharaElnathAlphardAlnilamDenebolaCastorAlgolDubheKaus AustralisAlkaidPolarisAlnitakCaphMirachBellatrix