Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is the northern constellation that holds the Plough, or Big Dipper, the most recognised star pattern of the northern sky.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 18 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Theta Ursae Majoris, 44 light-years (13.5 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Alula Borealis, 399 light-years (122 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 9.1 × farther than the nearest |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Ursa Major
Ursa Major is an ancient Greek constellation, a bear whose back and long tail are traced by the seven bright stars of the Plough. Dubhe and Merak, the two stars at the end of the bowl, point towards Polaris, which is how most people learn to find north. In the bend of the handle, Mizar has a faint companion, Alcor, that sharp eyes can split without a telescope.
Five of the Plough’s stars, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth and Mizar, travel through space together as a loose moving group, born in the same place. Dubhe and Alkaid do not belong to it: they share the pattern only by chance of direction. From mid-northern latitudes the Bear never sets, wheeling around the pole all night and all year; from the far south it never rises.
What you see in the piece
Press N with HUMAN EYE on and the Bear is drawn where it belongs. Fly out and it comes apart: Theta Ursae Majoris is a near neighbour, while Alula Borealis lies many times deeper, and the Plough’s members drift together while Dubhe and Alkaid go their own ways.
Questions
Is the Big Dipper a constellation?
No. The Big Dipper, or Plough, is an asterism: the brightest part of the larger constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear.
How far away are the stars of Ursa Major?
In the piece’s figure they range from Theta Ursae Majoris, 44 light-years (13.5 pc), to Alula Borealis, 399 light-years (122 pc): the farthest is 9.1 × farther than the nearest.