Ursa Major, which means “great bear” in Latin, is the biggest constellation you can see in the northern sky. It’s visible all year round if you’re in the northern part of the world. The most famous part of Ursa Major is a group of seven bright stars that form a shape called the Big Dipper. Some people also call it the Wagon or the Plough. The Big Dipper is an asterism, which is a smaller group of stars within a constellation that makes a recognizable pattern.
Asterisms like the Big Dipper are important in many cultures and stories. Other famous asterisms include Orion’s Belt and the Little Dipper. The Big Dipper has inspired many myths and legends in different cultures.
In Native American stories, the Big Dipper is seen as a giant bear being chased by three hunters. In Hindu tales, the stars of the dipper represent the Seven Sages. Ancient Greek mythology also has a story about Ursa Major. It tells of a beautiful woman named Callisto who was turned into a bear by Zeus’s wife, Hera, as a punishment. To save her, Zeus placed Callisto in the sky as a constellation. Hera made sure she never drank water again by keeping her above the horizon, which is why Ursa Major is always visible in the sky.
Ursa Major is a circumpolar constellation, which means it moves around the North Pole in the sky. This makes it a permanent part of the northern sky, always visible if you’re in the northern hemisphere.
The Big Dipper is not just for stories; it has been useful for navigation too. The two stars at the end of the dipper are called “pointer stars.” If you draw a line through these stars, it points to Polaris, the North Star. This star is a steady guide in the northern sky. Long ago, people escaping slavery used the Big Dipper to find their way to freedom, as remembered in the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
Ursa Major, the great bear in the sky, is not only beautiful but also full of cultural stories and historical importance. Next time you’re looking at the stars in the northern hemisphere, try to find Ursa Major and see the Big Dipper shining brightly.
