April 27
The Herdsman Himself
Sun Position
The Sun is in Taurus near +23° declination, approaching its maximum northern declination at June's solstice. Northern hemisphere evenings are long; southern hemisphere observers are in the best stretch of autumn observing.
Sky Highlight
The eta Aquariid meteor shower is building in the pre-dawn sky, still about a week from its early May peak. In late April, background eta Aquariid meteors are visible after 2 AM, entering the atmosphere at a high velocity of 66 km/s. The shower favors the southern hemisphere, where the radiant rises higher before dawn.
Deep Sky Object
M64, the Black Eye Galaxy (NGC 4826), spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, about 17 million light-years. M64 is notable for having two counter-rotating disk components: the inner region and outer region spin in opposite directions, the expected signature of a merger with a smaller galaxy in the distant past. The dark lane is visible in a 6-inch telescope. Best from northern mid-latitudes.
Featured Star
Nekkar (β Boo) is a yellow G8III giant 219 light-years away. Its name is thought to derive from the Arabic phrase for 'the herdsman,' mirroring the constellation name Boötes, both words pointing to the same occupational archetype. It is a mild chromospheric active giant, meaning its surface activity is higher than average for a star of its type.
Around This Date
- April 27, 1972Apollo 16 lifted off from the lunar surface at the Descartes Highlands, with John Young and Charles Duke departing after spending 71 hours on the Moon.
- April 28, 2001American businessman Dennis Tito launched to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TM-32, becoming the first private citizen to pay for a spaceflight.
Nekkar's name means herdsman; it is the herdsman's star in the herdsman's constellation, a name folded back on itself across two languages.