The patterns we see in the night sky, known as asterisms, often resemble familiar objects, allowing people to connect with the cosmos through common shapes. Different cultures across history have recognized these stellar groupings, projecting their own stories and images onto the canvas of the dark sky. One such pattern is a celestial figure widely seen as a large, diamond-shaped kite soaring among the stars.
Identifying the Celestial Kite
The constellation most commonly described as looking like a kite is Boötes, which is pronounced “boh-OH-teez.” Boötes is a large constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere, and its brightest stars form a clear, distinctive asterism often likened to a kite or an ice cream cone. This kite shape is a long, tapering figure with one very bright star marking the bottom point or base. The shape itself is a narrow diamond composed of four main stars, with the long axis pointing generally northward.
The brightest star, Arcturus, serves as the anchor point at the bottom of the kite. Extending up from Arcturus is the long vertical “spine” of the kite toward the star Nekkar, or Beta Boötis. A crossbar of stars, including Delta Boötis and Seginus (Gamma Boötis), runs horizontally near the top, completing the diamond-like structure.
Locating Boötes
Boötes is best viewed during the spring and summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, when it rises in the northeast after sunset. A straightforward and reliable method for finding this constellation is to use the familiar asterism of the Big Dipper, which is part of the larger constellation Ursa Major. The handle of the Big Dipper forms a natural curve that acts as a celestial guidepost.
If you follow the curve of the Dipper’s handle away from its bowl, you will naturally “arc” toward the first very bright star you encounter. This navigational mnemonic, often remembered as “Arc to Arcturus,” leads directly to the brilliant star that marks the kite’s base. Once Arcturus is located, the rest of the kite’s diamond shape becomes visible, extending upward from this bright anchor.
The Brightest Star: Arcturus
The star Arcturus, designated Alpha Boötis, is the fourth brightest star visible in the entire night sky and the brightest one in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is an aging star classified as an orange giant, which gives it a distinctive reddish-orange color. Arcturus is relatively close to Earth, residing about 36.7 light-years away.
Despite being only slightly more massive than our Sun, Arcturus has expanded significantly, reaching a diameter about 25 times that of the Sun. The star is highly luminous, shining with a total power output roughly 180 times greater than the Sun, though its visible light output is about 110 times greater. Its brilliant magnitude of -0.05 makes it an unmistakable point of light, serving as the visual tip of the kite asterism in Boötes. This bright star’s name, derived from the Greek, translates to “Guardian of the Bear,” reflecting its position near the constellation Ursa Major.
Mythology and Origin of the Name
The name Boötes itself comes from the Ancient Greek word for “herdsman” or “plowman,” reflecting its deep connection to agriculture and rural life in antiquity. The constellation is one of the 48 original star patterns cataloged by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy. One prominent Greek myth identifies Boötes as Philomenus, the son of the goddess of agriculture, Demeter, who invented the plow. Zeus supposedly placed him in the heavens to honor his ingenuity, driving the celestial oxen represented by the stars of Ursa Major.
Another story links the constellation to Icarius, an Athenian taught the secret of winemaking by the god Dionysus. When his shepherds drank the strong wine and suffered the first hangovers, they mistakenly believed they had been poisoned and killed Icarius. Out of grief, Zeus honored Icarius by placing him in the sky as Boötes.