Arcturus Trivia Questions

From 'arktos' (bear) and 'ouros' (guardian); in mythology, it's the bear-watcher, following the Big Bear (Ursa Major) across the sky.

It's about 37 light-years away. The closest is Proxima Centauri at 4.2 ly; Arcturus is bright because of its size, not proximity.

It's an orange giant, not a supergiant; it's in a late stage but lacks mass for a supernova—it will become a white dwarf instead.

It's the fourth-brightest overall, but second in the north, outshone only by Sirius (which is visible in both hemispheres).

Starlight from Arcturus, focused by a telescope, activated a photocell to turn on the fair's lights, timed for its 40-year journey.

It's a high-velocity star with odd orbit, but it's bound to the Milky Way and won't escape; it's just passing through the disk.

It has a known companion, Arcturus B, a red dwarf about 2.5 arcseconds away, discovered in the 19th century.

No planets have been confirmed around Arcturus despite searches; its variability and age make planet detection tricky.