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Big Dipper
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The Big Dipper or the Plough is an asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez, of third magnitude. Four define a "bo
An 1820s plough
An 1820s plough
The Big Dipper seen from Fujian
The Big Dipper seen from Fujian
The Hall of the Big Dipper in a Taoist temple, Wuhan
The Hall of the Big Dipper in a Taoist temple, Wuhan
The Big Dipper's bowl and part of the handle photographed from the International Space Station. Mizar and Alcor are at the upper right.
The Big Dipper's bowl and part of the handle photographed from the International Space Station. Mizar and Alcor are at the upper right.
Ursa Minor
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Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Bear, is a constellation located in the far northern sky. As with the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, hence the
Big Dipper
…It is recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures. The North Star (Polaris), the current northern pole star and the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper (Little Bear), can be located by extending an imaginary line through the front two stars of the asterism, Merak (β) and Dubhe (α). This makes it useful…
Ursa Minor as depicted in The Book of Fixed Stars, ca. 1009-1010. Unlike in western representations, the bear is drawn with its tail drooping down.
Ursa Minor as depicted in The Book of Fixed Stars, ca. 1009-1010. Unlike in western representations, the bear is drawn with its tail drooping down.
The constellation Ursa Minor showing the IAU boundaries, the constellation stick figure, and labels for its brightest stars. Astrophotograph by Eckhar
The constellation Ursa Minor showing the IAU boundaries, the constellation stick figure, and labels for its brightest stars. Astrophotograph by Eckhard Slawik, from NOIRLab's 88 Constellations project.
The constellation Ursa Minor as it can be seen by the naked eye (with connections and label added). Notice the seven stars of Ursa Major that form the
The constellation Ursa Minor as it can be seen by the naked eye (with connections and label added). Notice the seven stars of Ursa Major that form the Big Dipper and then make a line from the outermost Big Dipper stars (sometimes called the "pointers") to Polaris.
Ursa Minor and Ursa Major in relation to Polaris
Ursa Minor and Ursa Major in relation to Polaris