June 19
The Herdsman
Sun Position
The Sun is in Gemini, declination near +23.4°. Northern days are at or near maximum length; the solstice is two days away.
Sky Highlight
No major meteor shower peaks today. Boötes reaches its best position in the June evening sky, with Arcturus blazing in the south at nightfall, the brightest star in the northern sky and an easy guide for finding the rest of the kite-shaped constellation.
Deep Sky Object
NGC 5248, a spiral galaxy roughly 50 million light-years away. NGC 5248 in Boötes is a grand-design intermediate spiral galaxy with prominent, tightly wound arms and a history of frequent supernovae (four have been recorded in the past century) making it a favored target for supernova patrol programs. Accessible from both hemispheres in June evenings; a telescope is needed to see it well.
Featured Star
Nekkar (β Boo) is a yellow giant (G8III) about 219 light-years away, named in Arabic for the herdsman, the same occupation as the constellation it marks. It sits at the top of Boötes, a quiet giant of middling brightness, its name a direct translation of the figure it inhabits.
Around This Date
- June 19, 1917Robert Goddard received $20,000 from the U.S. Army Signal Corps for rocket development, and together with assistant Clarence N. Hickman developed a prototype of what would become the World War II bazooka, tested at Mount Wilson Observatory in California.
- June 16, 1963Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space, orbiting Earth 48 times over nearly three days aboard Vostok 6.
The herdsman leans into his staff, a yellow giant with a straightforward name and 219 light-years to his credit.