Magnitude 5.76 Apparent magnitude (V) 5.76 | Constellation Boötes | |
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Similar Kappa Boötis, Iota Boötis, Mu Boötis, Phi Boötis, Gamma Boötis | ||
38 Boötis (abbreviated 38 Boo), also named Merga, is a star in the constellation of Boötes. It is approximately 153 light years from Earth.
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Nomenclature
38 Boötis is the star's Flamsteed designation. It also bears the Bayer designation of h Boötis.
It bore the traditional name Merga, occasionally spelled Marrha or in full El Mara el Musalsela, from the Arabic المرأة المسلسلة al-mar’ah al-musalsalah "the chained woman". Another occasional name is Falx Italica, from the Latin falx ītalica "billhook". In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name Merga for this star on 12 September 2016 and it is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.
Properties
38 Boötis has an apparent magnitude of 5.74 and belongs to the spectral class F7IVw.