The number of bright stars in the Ursa Major bucket. How many stars are there in the constellation Ursa Major?

Constellation Ursa Major

Ursa Major is a constellation in the northern hemisphere of the sky. The seven Ursa Major forms a shape resembling a ladle with a handle. The two brightest stars, Alioth and Dubhe, have a magnitude of 1.8 apparent magnitude. By the two extreme stars of this figure (α and β) you can find the North Star. The best visibility conditions are in March-April. Visible throughout Russia all year round (with the exception of the autumn months in southern Russia, when Ursa Major descends low to the horizon).

Stars and asterisms

Ursa Major is the third largest constellation in area (after Hydra and Virgo), whose seven bright stars form the famous Big Dipper; this asterism has been known since ancient times among many peoples under different names: Rocker, Plow, Elk, Cart, Seven Sages, etc. All the stars of the Bucket have their own Arabic names:

• Dubhe (α Ursa Major) means "bear";
• Merak (β) - “lower back”;
• Fekda (γ) - “thigh”;
• Megrets (δ) - “beginning of the tail”;
• Aliot (ε) - the meaning is not clear (but most likely this name means “fat tail”);
• Mizar (ζ) - “sash” or “loincloth”.
• The last star in the handle of the Bucket is called Benetnash or Alkaid (η); In Arabic, al-Qa'id Banat Nash means "leader of the mourners." This poetic image is taken from the Arabic folk understanding of the constellation Ursa Major.

In the system of naming stars using Greek letters, the order of the letters simply corresponds to the order of the stars.

Another interpretation of asterism is reflected in the alternative name Hearse and Mourners. Here the asterism is thought of as a funeral procession: in front are mourners, headed by a leader, followed by a funeral bier. This explains the name of the star η Ursa Major, “leader of the mourners.”

The 5 inner stars of the Bucket (except for the outer ones α and η) really belong to a single group in space - the moving Ursa Major cluster, which moves quite quickly across the sky; Dubhe and Benetnash move in the opposite direction, so the shape of the Bucket changes significantly in about 100,000 years.

The stars Merak and Dubhe, forming the wall of the Bucket, are called Signposts, since the straight line drawn through them rests on the North Star (in the constellation Ursa Minor). Six stars of the Bucket have a brilliance of the 2nd magnitude, and only Megrets is of the 3rd magnitude.

Next to Mizar, which was the second to be discovered by telescope (Giovanni Riccioli in 1650; as of the early 2000s, it was probably observed as a binary as early as 1617 by Galileo). A keen eye sees the 4th magnitude star Alcor (80 Ursa Major), which in Arabic means “forgotten” or “insignificant”. It is believed that the ability to distinguish the Alcor star has been a recognized test of vigilance since ancient times. The pair of stars Mizar and Alcor is often interpreted as an asterism " Horse and rider».

A peculiar asterism Three gazelle jumps Arabic origin consists of three pairs of closely spaced stars, and the pairs are on the same straight line and separated by equal distances. Associated with the hoof marks of a gazelle moving in leaps. Includes stars:

• Alula North and Alula South (ν and ξ, first jump),
• Taniya North and Taniya South (λ and μ, second jump),
• Talita North and Talita South (ι and κ, third jump).

Aliot, Mizar and Benetnash form an extended arc that points to Arcturus - the brightest star, which is located north of the celestial equator, and is also the brightest star visible in the spring in the mid-latitudes of Russia. As this arc extends further south, it points to Spica, the brightest star in the Virgo constellation.



Big Dipper- constellation of the northern hemisphere of the sky. The seven stars of Ursa Major form a shape resembling a ladle with a handle. The two brightest stars, Alioth and Dubhe, have a magnitude of 1.8 apparent magnitude. By the two extreme stars of this figure (α and β) you can find the North Star. The best visibility conditions are in March-April. Visible throughout Russia all year round (with the exception of the autumn months in southern Russia, when Ursa Major descends low to the horizon).

There are about 125 stars in the constellation, but only seven are called the largest and brightest: Dubhe, Merak, Phekda, Megrets, Aliot, Mizar and Alkaid. Between themselves they form a bucket that is visible to the naked eye.

The legend of the appearance of the constellation

In distant Greenland there is also a legend in which the constellation Ursa Major appears. The mythology and history of this cluster are quite popular. But one story that has gained the greatest popularity among Eskimos is one that absolutely everyone talks about. It was even suggested that this legend is not fiction, but the pure truth. In a snowy house, on the very edge of Greenland, lived the great hunter Eriulok. He lived alone in a hut because he was arrogant, considering himself the best in his field. That's why he didn't want to communicate with his other tribesmen. For many years in a row he went to sea and always returned with rich booty. His house always had a lot of food and seal fat, and the walls of his home were decorated with the best skins of walruses, seals and seals.

Eriulok was rich, well-fed, but lonely. And loneliness over time began to weigh on the great hunter. He tried to make friends with his fellow Eskimos, but they did not want to have anything to do with their arrogant relative. Apparently, he offended them greatly at one time. In desperation, Eriulok went to the Arctic Ocean and called the mistress of the sea depths, the goddess Arnarkuachssak. He told her about himself and his trouble. The goddess promised to help, but in return Eriulok had to bring her a ladle with magic berries that would restore the goddess’s youth. The hunter agreed and went to a distant island and found a cave guarded by a bear. After much torment, he put the forest animal to sleep and stole a ladle of berries. The goddess did not deceive the hunter and gave him a wife, and in return received magic berries.

After all the adventures, Eriulok married and became the father of a large family, to the envy of all the neighbors in the area. As for the goddess, she ate all the berries, became a couple of hundred centuries younger and, in joy, threw the empty ladle into the sky, where it, caught on something, remained hanging.

Stars and asterisms

Ursa Major is the third largest constellation in area (after Hydra and Virgo), whose seven bright stars form the famous Big Dipper; this asterism has been known since ancient times among many peoples under different names: Rocker, Plow, Elk, Cart, Seven Sages, etc. All the stars of the Bucket have their own Arabic names:

• Dubhe(α Ursa Major) means “bear”;
• Merak(β) - “lower back”;
• Fekda(γ) - “thigh”;
• Megrets(δ) - “beginning of the tail”;
• Alioth(ε) - the meaning is not clear (but most likely this name means “fat tail”);
• Mizar(ζ) - “sash” or “loincloth”.
• The last star in the handle of the Bucket is called Benetnash or Alkaid(η); In Arabic, al-Qa'id Banat Nash means "leader of the mourners." This poetic image is taken from the Arabic folk understanding of the constellation Ursa Major.

In the system of naming stars using Greek letters, the order of the letters simply corresponds to the order of the stars.

Another interpretation of asterism is reflected in the alternative name Hearse and Mourners. Here the asterism is thought of as a funeral procession: in front are mourners, headed by a leader, followed by a funeral bier. This explains the name of the star η Ursa Major, “leader of the mourners.”

Inner stars of the Bucket

The 5 inner stars of the Bucket (except for the outer ones α and η) really belong to a single group in space - the moving Ursa Major cluster, which moves quite quickly across the sky; Dubhe and Benetnash move in the opposite direction, so the shape of the Bucket changes significantly in about 100,000 years.

Stars Merak and Dubhe

They form the wall of the Bucket and are called Signposts, since the straight line drawn through them rests on the North Star (in the constellation Ursa Minor). Six stars of the Bucket have a brilliance of the 2nd magnitude, and only Megrets is of the 3rd magnitude.

Alcor

Next to Mizar, which was the second telescopically discovered double star (Giovanni Riccioli in 1650; as of the early 2000s, it was probably observed as a double as early as 1617 by Galileo). A keen eye sees the 4th magnitude star Alcor (80 Ursa Major), which in Arabic means “forgotten” or “insignificant”. It is believed that the ability to distinguish the Alcor star has been a recognized test of vigilance since ancient times. The pair of stars Mizar and Alcor is often interpreted as an asterism " Horse and rider».

Three gazelle jumps

A peculiar asterism Three gazelle jumps Arabic origin consists of three pairs of closely spaced stars, and the pairs are on the same straight line and separated by equal distances. Associated with the hoof marks of a gazelle moving in leaps. Includes stars:

• Alula North and Alula South (ν and ξ, first jump),
• Taniya North and Taniya South (λ and μ, second jump),
• Talita North and Talita South (ι and κ, third jump).

Arcturus

Aliot, Mizar and Benetnash form an extended arc that points to Arcturus - the brightest star, which is located north of the celestial equator, and is also the brightest star visible in the spring in the mid-latitudes of Russia. As this arc extends further south, it points to Spica, the brightest star in the Virgo constellation.

Lalande 21185

The red dwarf, located in the region of Alula North and inaccessible to observations with the naked eye, is one of the closest star systems to Earth, closer to it are only Alpha Centauri, Barnard's star and Wolf 359. Also accessible to observations through binoculars is the star Groombridge 1830, which is inferior in its own motion to only Barnard's star and Kapteyn's star, over a hundred years it moves by about a third of the lunar disk.

Legends about the constellation. Star of Dubhe

There are a huge number of legends and tales about the cluster of luminaries Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. There is the following belief about the brightest star Dubha from the constellation Ursa Major. The daughter of King Lycaon, the beautiful Callisto was one of the hunters of the goddess Artemis. Almighty Zeus fell in love with Callisto, and she gave birth to a boy, Arcas. For this, Zeus' jealous wife Hera turned Callisto into a bear. When Arkas grew up and became a hunter, he picked up the trail of a bear and was already preparing to hit the beast with an arrow. Zeus, seeing what was happening, did not allow the murder. It was he who turned Arkas into a smaller bear. The Lord of Heaven placed them in the firmament so that mother and son would always remain together.

Ursa Major ranks third among the constellations in terms of area, but unusually few variable stars have been found there - as of 2011, it is not among the top ten constellations in terms of this indicator.

• The Hubble Ultra Deep Field was imaged in an area one-twelfth the size of the lunar disk near the star Megrets. As of 2011, this is one of the most detailed images of the starry sky, allowing one to distinguish many galaxies billions of light years away from Earth.
• Scars in the shape of the constellation Ursa Major on the chest are worn by a character from the popular anime and manga series Hokuto No Ken, Kenshiro in many countries. At the moment, only the independent three-part short story “Fist of the North Star: New Era” is available in the official Russian translation.
• The world's first cryonics company is named after a star from the constellation Ursa Major.
• Soviet archaeologist and historian, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Rybakov B.A. in his famous work he wrote: “The most important constellation of our northern hemisphere - Ursa Major - in the Russian North was called “Elk”, “Elk”... Among the Poles, the North Star is called the “Elk Star” (Gwiazda Łosiowa). Among the Evenks, the constellation Ursus Major (Ursus Major) is called “Moose Haglen”.
• In the animated series Gravity Falls, the main character Dipper Pines has a birthmark in the form of this constellation on his forehead. Because of him, he received the nickname Dipper ( dipper from English - ladle, and the constellation Ursa Major is sometimes called the Big Dipper).

Video

"The constellation Ursa Major is the first constellation from which you need to start exploring the starry sky; if you have not learned to find the Big Dipper, the starry sky for you will always remain a scattering of luminous points..."
“Astronomy is currently not a compulsory subject in school and is taught as an elective...

Sergey Ov

Rice. 1 Constellation Ursa Major, diagram

The constellation Ursa Major (Ursa Major) is the largest constellation in the Northern Hemisphere of the sky and the third largest angular area among all the constellations of the celestial sphere (nebosphere), in addition, Ursa Major is the ancestor of the group of constellations of the same name.
Being one of the largest in area, Ursa Major directly borders on as many as 8 constellations - Bootes, Dragon, Giraffe, Lynx, Leo Minor, Leo, Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici.
Ursa Major is a non-setting constellation throughout Russia (more precisely, the main asterism of the Big Dipper constellation, which can serve as a huge night celestial clock, is non-setting).

Stars and contour diagram of the constellation Ursa Major

The constellation Ursa Major is the most visible and recognizable constellation in our northern sky. There are as many as seven stars in the constellation brighter than the third magnitude - this is Epsilon Ursa Major (ε UMa,1.76 m) - Alioth, α UMa - Dubhe, η UMa - Benetnash, ζ UMa - Mizar, β UMa - Merak And Fekda(γ UMa) with the controversial ψ Ursa Major Tai Zun(Fig. 2).

Sergey Ov

Rice. 2 Constellation Ursa Major. Names of the brightest stars. Lilac line - asterism "Big Dipper" as a symbol of the Big Dipper

As you can see, Figure 2 shows the names of more than seven stars - not the brightest, but important for constructing the constellation diagram (Figure 3), the stars Kaffa (Megrets, δ UMa), Muscida (ο UMa), Al Haud (θ UMa) have been added. and suggesting the pairing of Alula Borealis (ν UMa), Tania Australis (μ UMa), Talita (Borealis - ι UMa, Australis - κ UMa).
It is noteworthy that paired stars form the “Gazelle Jumping” asterism, which has come down to us from eastern stargazers. (Gazelle Jumps, Gazelle Footprints, Three Gazelle Jumps), outlining the far edge of the constellation. You can see the Gazelle Jumping asterism by moving the cursor to Figure 3.
To construct our proposed version of a schematic contour drawing of the Ursa Major constellation, almost the same stars are used as in traditional diagrams, but our contour can clearly represent a polar bear:

Sergey Ov

Rice. 3 Diagram of the constellation Ursa Major. Star chart (outline image) of a polar bear (This very successful constellation diagram was proposed by X. Ray. It was this that served as the impetus for attempts to draw up their own constellation diagrams).
Asterisms Big Dipper and Gazelle Jumping - move the cursor when JavaScript is enabled

Since ancient times, regardless of cultural and religious traditions, within this constellation people have identified seven bright stars folding into a schematic drawing of a bucket, which is now called “ asterism Big Dipper" This asterism certainly deserves a separate image (Fig. 5), since it contains another characteristic group, which requires additional magnification to show - these are the visual double stars Alcor and Mizar, the “rider” and “horse”, respectively. There is a myth that in ancient times this pair was used to test eyesight when selecting warriors.
All, even not very bright stars included in the Big Dipper asterism have their own names, received from different peoples - this is a chain of stars (starting from the handle and ending with the scoop of the ladle). All stars used to plot the Big Dipper are navigation stars.
A list of more than 230 stars in Ursa Major can be found by calling up the list:
.

Rice. 4 Asterism Big Dipper in the constellation Ursa Major.
Stars of the Big Dipper asterism. Asterism "Horseman": Alcor and Mizar

After the contours and brightest stars of the constellation have been studied to the point of automatic recognition, you can begin to search for the constellation Ursa Major directly in the starry sky.

How to find the constellation Ursa Major

The constellation Ursa Major is usually found by its main asterism, the Big Dipper. It is best for someone to show the Big Dipper; it is enough to see this configuration of stars in the sky at least once, and it will always appear before your eyes!
But what to do if there is no one to show the Big Dipper?
For the first time, the constellation Ursa Major can be found independently as follows:

1. If you live at the latitude of Moscow, then wait until April and go outside at about 23:00 local time, you will find the Big Dipper right above your head, at the zenith. All you have to do is correctly determine the angular dimensions of the bucket and mentally build its pattern according to the stars.
True, at other times of the year or if you are significantly south of Moscow, you can’t do without a compass...
To determine the angular dimensions you need to know that the angular distance from Benetnash before Dubhe is about 26°, the angular distance between the thumb and index finger of an adult’s outstretched hand is 16-18°, so the Big Dipper against the background of an outstretched hand will look approximately as shown in Fig. 5.

Rice. 5 Estimating the angular size of the Big Dipper using an outstretched arm.

2. What to do if you wait too long for the desired April? In this case, you need to prepare a compass and use the table provided here:

Table A.
The apparent location of the Big Dipper at the latitude of Moscow at 11 p.m. local time

Month of the year	Direction	Elevation angle	Note
January	Northeast	30° - 50°	The bucket is turned vertically to the horizon
February	Northeast-east	40° - 70°	The bucket is deployed vertically
March	East	50° - 80°	The bucket is deployed almost vertically
April	Zenith	about 90°	It's better to look facing north
May	West	55° - 90°	Tilt of the Big Bucket from 80 to 60
June	Northwest-west	40° - 70°	Tilt of the Big Bucket from 60 to 40
July	Northwest	35° - 60°	Tilt of the Big Bucket from 40 to 20
August	North northwest	30° - 55°	The bucket is deployed almost horizontally
September	North northwest	20° - 30°	The bucket is deployed parallel to the horizon
October	North	20° - 30°	Tilt of the Big Bucket up from 10 to 30
November	North-northeast	15° - 40°	Tilt of the Big Bucket up from 30 to 50
December	Northeast	20° - 40°	Tilt of the Big Bucket up from 50 to 80

The note indicates the location of the Big Dipper in relation to the horizon for an observer looking in the direction of this asterism.

After you have learned to find the Big Dipper in the sky, you have the opportunity to learn about all the constellations of the northern part of the celestial sphere.
But the first thing you should use the new opportunities for is determining the position of the North Star. If you have found the North Star (Alpha Ursa Minor), then you know the exact direction to the north and can determine the cardinal directions.
To find the North Star you need to mentally draw a line between the stars of the edge of the Bucket from Merak To Dubhe and continue to the first bright star - this will be the North Star! You can test yourself by mentally constructing a Small Bucket from it, as if pouring it into a Big Bucket (Fig. 6). Polar Star is the most important navigation star, and Merak And Dubhe, helping to find it, are also called Pointers.

Rice. 6 How to find the North Star? - Very simple! You need to mentally draw a line through Merak And Dubhe.

In such a position as in Figure 5, the Big Dipper and the Big Dipper can be seen in early autumn, closer to midnight, if you look at the starry sky turning to the north... I believe that the drawing does not require further explanation (otherwise, write to the forum)

History and mythology of the constellation Ursa Major

Among the many myths and legends attributed to the work of the ancient Greeks, I most like one, considered the most ancient, and also logically the most harmonious, the essence of this myth boils down to the fact that in the infancy of Zeus, he was raised by the goat Amalthea and two bears Major and Small. One day, when Zeus was already an adult, Amalthea rushed to him and reported that the bears, his nurses and protectors of childhood, were about to be driven into an ambush by hunters. Zeus barely arrived at the last moment, grabbed his benefactors by their tails from the carnage and carried them to heaven, while their tails stretched out. This is why celestial bears have such long tails.

Claudius Ptolemy in his star catalog tries to follow tradition and refers to the constellation Ursa Major the stars that create the image of the bear in the ideas of his time. Subsequently, Jan Hevelius, in his atlas “Uranography,” tries to follow Ptolemy’s descriptions as accurately as possible; unfortunately, the original atlas was created in the projection of a “divine gaze” - as if you were looking at the celestial sphere from the outside. In order for the picture to correspond to the “earthly” view of the Ursa Major constellation, as well as to highlight the stars, the collage offered to your attention was created:

Rice. 7. The constellation Ursa Major is a collage based on a drawing in the atlas of Jan Hevelius (only those stars that were included in the atlas by Hevelius himself are highlighted). When you move the cursor over the picture, one of the traditional constellation diagrams is highlighted

Sergey Ov(Seosnews9)

List of notable and visible stars in the constellation Ursa Major

Star designation	Bayer sign	Right ascension	Declension	Magnitude	Distance, St. year	Spectral class	Star name and notes
Epsilon Ursa Major	ε UMa	12 h 54 m 01.63 s	+55° 57′ 35.4″	1,76	81	A0p	Alioth; may have a brown dwarf component
Alpha Ursa Major	α UMa	11h 03m 43.84s	+61° 45′ 04.0″	1,81	124	F7V comp	Dubhe (Dubhe, Dubh, Dubb, Thahr al Dub al Akbar, Ak)
This Ursa Major	ηUMa	13 h 47 m 32.55 s	+49° 18′ 47.9″	1,85	101	B3V SB	Benetnasch (Alkaid, Elkeid, Benetnasch)
Zeta Ursa Major	ζUMa	13 h 23 m 55.42 s	+54° 55′ 31.5″	2,23	78	A2V	Mizar (Mizar, Mizat, Mirza, Mitsar, Vasistha); multiple star; visual double star with Alcor
Beta Ursa Major	βUMa	11h 01m 50.39s	+56° 22′ 56.4″	2,34	79	A1V	Merak, Mirak
Gamma Ursa Major	γ UMa	11 h 53 m 49.74 s	+53° 41′ 41.0″	2,41	84	A0V SB	Phad, Phecda, Phegda, Phekha, Phacd
Psi Ursa Major	ψ UMa	11h 09m 39.86s	+44° 29′ 54.8″	3,00	147	K1III	Tai Tsun
Mu Ursa Major	μUMa	10 h 22 m 19.80 s	+41° 29′ 58.0″	3,06	249	M0III SB	Tania Australis (Alkafzah Australis); semi-regular variable
Iota Ursa Major	ιUMa	08 h 59 m 12.84 s	+48° 02′ 32.5″	3,12	48	A7IV	Talita Borealis (Talitha Borealis, Talita Borealis, Dnoces, Alphikra Borealis); quadruple star
Theta Ursa Major	θ UMa	09 h 32 m 52.33 s	+51° 40′ 43.0″	3,17	44	F6IV	Al Haud, Sarir, Sarir Bonet
Delta Ursa Major	δUMa	12 h 15 m 25.45 s	+57° 01′ 57.4″	3,32	81	A3Vvar	Kaffa, Megrez (Megrez, Kaffa)
Omicron Ursa Major	ο UMa	08 h 30 m 16.03 s	+60° 43′ 06.4″	3,35	184	G4II-III
Lambda Ursa Major	λUMa	10h 17m 05.93s	+42° 54′ 52.1″	3,45	134	A2IV	Tania Borealis, Alkafzah Borealis
ν Ursa Major	νUMa	11 h 18 m 28.76 s	+33° 05′ 39.3″	3,49	421	K3III SB	Alula Borealis
Kappa Ursa Major	κ UMa	09h 03m 37.56s	+47° 09′ 24.0″	3,57	423	A1Vn	Talitha Australis, Al Kaprah, Alphikra Australis
23 Ursa Major	23 UMa	09h 31m 31.57s	+63° 03′ 42.5″	3,65	75	F0IV
Chi Ursa Major	χ UMa	11h 46m 03.13s	+47° 46′ 45.6″	3,69	196	K0III	Alkafzah, Alkaphrah, El Koprah
Upsilon Ursa Major	υ UMa	09 h 50 m 59.69 s	+59° 02′ 20.8″	3,78	115	F0IV	variable of type δ Shield
Xi Ursa Major A	ξ UMa A	11h 18m 11.24s	+31° 31′ 50.8″	3,79	27,3	G0V	Alula Australis; double star
Zeta Ursa Major B	ζ UMa B	13 h 23 m 56.40 s	+54° 55′ 18.0″	3,95
Alcor	g	13 h 25 m 13.42 s	+54° 59′ 16.8″	3,99	81	A5V SB	Alcor (Saidak, Suha, Arundhati); visual double star with Mizar
Xi Ursa Major B	ξ UMa B	11h 18m 11.00s	+31° 31′ 45.0″	4,41			component of the ξ Ursa Major system
15 Ursa Major	f	09h 08m 52.39s	+51° 36′ 17.0″	4,46	96	Am
26 Ursa Major		09h 34m 49.49s	+52° 03′ 05.6″	4,47	267	A2V
24 Ursa Major	d	09h 34m 28.97s	+69° 49′ 48.6″	4,54	106	G4III-IV
Phi Ursa Major	φ	09h 52m 06.36s	+54° 03′ 51.4″	4,55	436	A3IV
Pi² Ursa Major	π²	08 h 40 m 12.90 s	+64° 19′ 40.3″	4,59	252	K2III	Muscida; has planet b
83 Ursa Major		13 h 40 m 44.29 s	+54° 40′ 54.0″	4,63	549	M2IIIvar
Omega Ursa Major	ω	10 h 53 m 58.71 s	+43° 11′ 24.1″	4,66	267	A1Vs
Tau Ursa Major	τ	09 h 10 m 54.93 s	+63° 30′ 49.6″	4,67	122	Am
Tau Ursa Major B	τ	09h 11m 00.60s	+63° 31′ 29.0″	4,70
HD 91312		10 h 33 m 14.00 s	+40° 25′ 31.9″	4,72	112	A7IV
Ursa Major Rho	ρ	09h 02m 32.73s	+67° 37′ 46.5″	4,74	287	M3III
55 Ursa Major		11h 19m 07.94s	+38° 11′ 08.6″	4,76	183	A2V
Sigma² Ursa Major	σ²	09h 10m 23.53s	+67° 08′ 03.3″	4,80	67	F7IV-V
18 Ursa Major	e	09h 16m 11.28s	+54° 01′ 18.2″	4,80	118	A5V
36 Ursa Major		10 h 30 m 37.76 s	+55° 58′ 50.2″	4,82	42	F8V
78 Ursa Major		13:00 43.59 s	+56° 21′ 58.8″	4,93	81	F2V
HD 89822		10h 24m 07.86s	+65° 33′ 59.3″	4,94	301	A0sp…
56 Ursa Major		11 h 22 m 49.61 s	+43° 28′ 57.9″	4,99	492	G8II
HD 92523		10h 43m 04.04s	+69° 04′ 34.5″	5,01	426	K3III
46 Ursa Major		10 h 55 m 44.46 s	+33° 30′ 25.2″	5,02	245	K1III
47 Ursa Major		10 h 59 m 28.22 s	+40° 25′ 48.4″	5,03	46	G0V	has two exoplanets: b and c
49 Ursa Major		11:00 50.48 s	+39° 12′ 43.7″	5,06	403	Am
15 Lesser Leo		09 h 48 m 35.18 s	+46° 01′ 16.4″	5,08	60	G2V
44 Lynx		09 h 46 m 31.66 s	+57° 07′ 40.8″	5,09	556	M3III
38 Ursa Major		10 h 41 m 56.78 s	+65° 42′ 59.3″	5,12	224	K2IIIvar
44 Ursa Major		10 h 53 m 34.52 s	+54° 35′ 06.5″	5,12	676	K3III
Sigma¹ Ursa Major	σ¹	09h 08m 23.53s	+66° 52′ 24.0″	5,15	498	K5III
27 Ursa Major		09 h 42 m 57.24 s	+72° 15′ 09.7″	5,15	442	K0III
37 Ursa Major		10 h 35 m 09.62 s	+57° 04′ 57.2″	5,16	86	F1V
16 Ursa Major	c	09h 14m 20.55s	+61° 25′ 24.2″	5,18	64	F9V
HD 92787		10 h 43 m 33.12 s	+46° 12′ 14.5″	5,18	116	F5III
67 Ursa Major		12h 02m 07.06s	+43° 02′ 43.7″	5,22	111	A7m
31 Ursa Major		09 h 55 m 43.01 s	+49° 49′ 11.3″	5,27	223	A3III
HD 102328		11 h 46 m 55.61 s	+55° 37′ 41.8″	5,27	206	K3III
17 Ursa Major		09h 15m 49.81s	+56° 44′ 29.3″	5,28	681	K5III
57 Ursa Major		11h 29m 04.16s	+39° 20′ 13.0″	5,30	209	A2V
61 Ursa Major		11h 41m 03.03s	+34° 12′ 09.2″	5,31	31	G8Vvar
55 Giraffe		08h 12m 48.79s	+68° 28′ 26.6″	5,34	1062	G8II
74 Ursa Major		12 h 29 m 57.40 s	+58° 24′ 19.9″	5,37	274	A5e…
HD 117376		13 h 28 m 27.18 s	+59° 56′ 44.5″	5,40	236	A1Vn
41 Lynx		09h 28m 39.99s	+45° 36′ 06.5″	5,41	288	K0III-IV	has planet b
HD 100203		11 h 32 m 20.76 s	+61° 04′ 57.9″	5,46	90	F6V
82 Ursa Major		13 h 39 m 30.58 s	+52° 55′ 15.9″	5,46	169	A3Vn
2 Ursa Major	A	08h 34m 36.19s	+65° 08′ 43.0″	5,47	158	A2m
HD 95212		11:00 14.70 s	+45° 31′ 34.6″	5,47	881	K5III
HD 77601		09h 05m 24.11s	+48° 31′ 49.3″	5,48	348	F6II-III
HD 86378		09h 59m 51.72s	+56° 48′ 42.8″	5,50	510	K5III
T Ursa Major		12 h 36 m 23.30 s	+59° 29′ 13.0″	5,50			variable star
70 Ursa Major		12 h 20 m 50.83 s	+57° 51′ 51.4″	5,54	701	K5III
HD 92095		10h 39m 05.74s	+53° 40′ 06.6″	5,55	514	K3III
59 Ursa Major		11 h 38 m 20.69 s	+43° 37′ 31.8″	5,56	149	F2II-III
6 Ursa Major		08h 56m 37.49s	+64° 36′ 14.5″	5,57	308	G6III
42 Ursa Major		10 h 51 m 23.76 s	+59° 19′ 12.9″	5,57	263	K2III
HD 104438		12h 01m 39.53s	+36° 02′ 32.2″	5,59	362	K0III
81 Ursa Major		13 h 34 m 07.33 s	+55° 20′ 54.4″	5,60	277	A0V
π¹ Ursa Major	π¹	08h 39m 11.74s	+65° 01′ 14.5″	5,63	47	G1.5Vb	Muscida
HD 100615		11h 35m 04.90s	+54° 47′ 07.4″	5,63	411	K0III
HD 73017		08 h 38 m 22.26 s	+53° 24′ 05.7″	5,66	241	G8IV
43 Ursa Major		10 h 51 m 11.08 s	+56° 34′ 56.1″	5,66	350	K2III
73 Ursa Major		12 h 27 m 35.13 s	+55° 42′ 45.9″	5,68	439	M2III
84 Ursa Major		13 h 46 m 35.68 s	+54° 25′ 57.7″	5,68	282	B9p EuCr
86 Ursa Major		13 h 53 m 51.04 s	+53° 43′ 43.3″	5,70	444	A0V
HD 87141		10h 04m 36.35s	+53° 53′ 30.2″	5,71	154	F5V
HD 96813		11h 09m 19.11s	+36° 18′ 34.0″	5,71	379	M3.5III
5 Ursa Major	b	08h 53m 22.57s	+61° 57′ 44.0″	5,72	285	F2III
HD 83489		09 h 42 m 14.93 s	+69° 14′ 15.7″	5,72	479	G9III:
57 Giraffe		08h 19m 17.18s	+62° 30′ 25.7″	5,73	470	G8III
HD 89744		10 h 22 m 10.66 s	+41° 13′ 47.5″	5,73	127	F7V	has planet b
47 Lesser Leo		10 h 54 m 58.22 s	+34° 02′ 05.7″	5,73	305	G7III:
HD 99283		11 h 25 m 57.18 s	+55° 51′ 01.2″	5,73	348	K0III
62 Ursa Major		11h 41m 34.50s	+31° 44′ 45.5″	5,73	133	F4V
HD 102713		11h 49m 41.80s	+34° 55′ 54.3″	5,73	227	F5IV
HD 77309		09 h 04 m 00.40 s	+54° 17′ 02.0″	5,74	336	A2V
32 Ursa Major		10h 18m 02.15s	+65° 06′ 30.1″	5,74	249	A8III
HD 92354		10 h 41 m 48.31 s	+68° 26′ 36.8″	5,74	586	K3III
22 Ursa Major		09h 34m 53.39s	+72° 12′ 21.1″	5,77	163	F7V
HD 80390		09h 21m 43.30s	+56° 41′ 57.3″	5,79	477	M4IIIa
39 Ursa Major		10 h 43 m 43.32 s	+57° 11′ 57.6″	5,79	368	A0Vs
HD 106884		12 h 17 m 29.56 s	+53° 11′ 29.2″	5,80	382	K6III
71 Ursa Major		12 h 25 m 03.22 s	+56° 46′ 40.3″	5,82	1190	M3III
HD 99747		11h 29m 04.70s	+61° 46′ 40.0″	5,83	107	F5Vawvar
66 Ursa Major		11 h 55 m 58.41 s	+56° 35′ 54.8″	5,83	315	K1III
HD 111456		12 h 48 m 39.34 s	+60° 19′ 11.6″	5,83	79	F5V
HD 112486		12 h 56 m 17.64 s	+54° 05′ 58.1″	5,84	256	A5m
HD 85841		09 h 58 m 22.91 s	+72° 52′ 46.6″	5,86	370	K3III:
HD 89343		10h 21m 03.43s	+68° 44′ 51.8″	5,88	410	A7Vn
HD 97989		11h 16m 41.93s	+49° 28′ 34.6″	5,88	421	K0III:
HD 111270		12 h 47 m 18.93 s	+62° 46′ 52.1″	5,88	206	A9V
HD 71088		08h 29m 46.29s	+67° 17′ 50.7″	5,89	322	G8III
HD 96834		11h 09m 38.55s	+43° 12′ 27.9″	5,89	566	M2III
HD 73171		08h 39m 17.65s	+52° 42′ 42.1″	5,91	397	K1III:
HD 94132		10 h 53 m 31.38 s	+69° 51′ 14.6″	5,91	142	G9IV
HD 78935		09h 15m 52.75s	+72° 56′ 47.3″	5,93	291	F0III
58 Ursa Major		11 h 30 m 31.17 s	+43° 10′ 23.0″	5,94	183	F4V
HD 92839		10 h 45 m 04.02 s	+67° 24′ 41.0″	5,95	1132	C5II
HD 104075		11h 59m 17.54s	+33° 10′ 01.3″	5,95	671	K1III
HD 79763		09h 17m 31.17s	+46° 49′ 01.9″	5,96	367	A1V
HD 83126		09h 39m 27.92s	+67° 16′ 20.4″	5,96	543	K5
HD 85945		09h 57m 13.57s	+57° 25′ 06.1″	5,97	466	G8III
HD 120787		13 h 49 m 45.43 s	+61° 29′ 22.4″	5,97	395	G3V
HD 95129		10 h 59 m 32.74 s	+36° 05′ 35.6″	5,99	888	M2III
HD 68951		08 h 20 m 40.32 s	+72° 24′ 26.3″	6,00	948	M0III
HD 89319		10 h 19 m 26.88 s	+48° 23′ 49.3″	6,00	141	K0
HD 90470		10 h 27 m 28.08 s	+41° 36′ 04.4″	6,00	216	A2V
HD 89414		10 h 20 m 31.18 s	+54° 13′ 00.7″	6,01	457	K3III:
51 Ursa Major		11h 04m 31.28s	+38° 14′ 28.9″	6,01	263	A3III-IV
HD 98772		11 h 22 m 51.25 s	+64° 19′ 49.5″	6,02	282	A3V
76 Ursa Major		12 h 41 m 33.95 s	+62° 42′ 47.1″	6,02	581	A2III
HD 119765		13 h 43 m 54.80 s	+52° 03′ 51.9″	6,02	345	A1V
HD 94669		10 h 56 m 14.51 s	+42° 00′ 30.2″	6,03	312	K2III
HD 95241		11:00 20.76 s	+42° 54′ 43.3″	6,03	148	F9V
HD 90745		10 h 30 m 26.65 s	+64° 15′ 28.1″	6,07	289	A7III
HD 96707		11h 09m 39.92s	+67° 12′ 37.0″	6,07	355	F0sp…
75 Ursa Major		12 h 30 m 04.22 s	+58° 46′ 04.1″	6,07	428	G8III-IV
60 Ursa Major		11 h 38 m 33.54 s	+46° 50′ 03.4″	6,09	351	F5IIIs
37 Lynx		09h 20m 43.79s	+51° 15′ 56.6″	6,14	95	F3V
HD 101013		11 h 37 m 53.05 s	+50° 37′ 05.8″	6,14	461	K0p…
HD 105043		12h 05m 39.76s	+62° 55′ 59.9″	6,14	373	K2III
HD 113994		13 h 06 m 22.86 s	+62° 02′ 31.1″	6,15	377	G7III
HD 122866		14 h 02 m 59.78 s	+50° 58′ 18.6″	6,16	313	A2V
HD 83962		09 h 44 m 36.62 s	+64° 59′ 02.6″	6,18	351	F3Vn
U Ursa Major		10h 15m 07.65s	+59° 59′ 07.9″	6,18	1743	M0IIIvar
1 Hound Dogs		12 h 14 m 43.43 s	+53° 26′ 04.8″	6,18	505	K0III:
HD 74604		08 h 48 m 49.28 s	+66° 42′ 29.4″	6,20	514	B8V
HD 98499		11 h 20 m 53.71 s	+67° 06′ 03.1″	6,20	439	G8
HD 108954		12 h 30 m 50.12 s	+53° 04′ 34.2″	6,20	72	F9V
HD 73971		08h 43m 00.19s	+46° 54′ 03.6″	6,21	412	G8III
HD 95057		10 h 59 m 17.89 s	+51° 52′ 56.5″	6,22	681	K0
HD 103736		11 h 56 m 53.27 s	+61° 32′ 57.5″	6,22	612	G8III
HD 80953		09h 25m 44.19s	+63° 56′ 27.7″	6,24	809	K2III
HD 102942		11h 51m 09.51s	+33° 22′ 29.9″	6,25	205	Am
HD 84812		09 h 50 m 23.67 s	+65° 35′ 35.9″	6,27	306	A9Vn
HD 101604		11h 41m 43.52s	+55° 10′ 19.2″	6,28	1006	K5
HD 119213		13 h 40 m 21.44 s	+57° 12′ 27.2″	6,28	288	A4p SrCrEu
HD 85583		09h 55m 03.35s	+61° 06′ 58.1″	6,29	389	K0
HD 99859		11 h 29 m 43.66 s	+56° 44′ 15.6″	6,29	221	A4m
HD 101151		11 h 38 m 32.33 s	+33° 37′ 33.1″	6,29	634	K2III
HD 101177		11 h 38 m 45.39 s	+45° 06′ 30.2″	6,29	76	G0V
HD 81025		09 h 24 m 55.64 s	+51° 34′ 26.1″	6,30	432	G2III
HD 99967		11 h 30 m 24.83 s	+46° 39′ 26.9″	6,30	985	K2IIICN-1
HD 71553		08 h 32 m 53.27 s	+69° 19′ 11.9″	6,31	619	K0
HD 87243		10h 05m 10.40s	+52° 22′ 16.7″	6,31	330	A5IV
HD 119124		13 h 40 m 23.35 s	+50° 31′ 09.4″	6,31	82	F7.7V
35 Ursa Major		10 h 29 m 54.43 s	+65° 37′ 34.7″	6,32	313	K2III:
HD 97501		11h 13m 40.10s	+41° 05′ 19.7″	6,33	332	K2III
HD 99373		11 h 26 m 25.58 s	+33° 27′ 02.0″	6,33	188	F6IV
HD 73131		08 h 38 m 59.92 s	+52° 55′ 30.5″	6,34	581	K0
HD 86166		09 h 57 m 56.84 s	+45° 24′ 51.8″	6,34	418	K0III
41 Ursa Major		10 h 46 m 22.54 s	+57° 21′ 57.8″	6,34	756	M1III
68 Ursa Major		12 h 11 m 44.89 s	+57° 03′ 16.0″	6,34	970	K5III
HD 117242		13 h 27 m 59.73 s	+52° 44′ 44.3″	6,34	325	F0
HD 75487		08h 53m 05.93s	+59° 03′ 22.1″	6,35	201	F5IV-V
HD 101391		11 h 40 m 27.44 s	+57° 58′ 13.3″	6,35	526	B9p…
HD 83869		09h 42m 43.12s	+48° 25′ 51.8″	6,36	435	A1V
HD 90602		10 h 28 m 36.54 s	+45° 12′ 44.1″	6,37	763	K0
HD 95256		11h 01m 05.73s	+63° 25′ 16.4″	6,38	284	A2m
HD 100470		11 h 33 m 56.38 s	+36° 48′ 56.7″	6,38	424	K0III
HD 110678		12h 43m 04.19s	+61° 09′ 19.3″	6,39	477	K0
HD 80461		09h 21m 23.61s	+45° 22′ 12.5″	6,40	713	K0
HD 93427		10 h 48 m 49.86 s	+65° 07′ 56.9″	6,40	420	A1V
HD 97138		11 h 12 m 10.90 s	+68° 16′ 18.7″	6,40	300	A3V
HD 100030		11 h 30 m 53.14 s	+47° 55′ 44.8″	6,40	328	G9IV
HD 82969		09h 37m 37.52s	+60° 12′ 49.5″	6,41	321	G5
HD 95233		11:00 25.58 s	+51° 30′ 07.7″	6,41	568	G9III
HD 97334		11 h 12 m 32.53 s	+35° 48′ 52.0″	6,41	71	G0V
HD 69976		08 h 22 m 44.06 s	+60° 37′ 52.5″	6,42	444	K0III
HD 89268		10 h 18 m 58.77 s	+46° 45′ 39.1″	6,42	830	K1III
HD 90508		10 h 28 m 03.81 s	+48° 47′ 13.4″	6,42	77	G1V
HD 93551		10 h 49 m 28.82 s	+63° 48′ 36.0″	6,42	862	K0
Groombridge Star		11 h 52 m 55.82 s	+37° 43′ 58.1″	6,42	30	G8Vp
HD 103928		11h 58m 07.25s	+32° 16′ 26.6″	6,42	155	A9V
56 Giraffe		08 h 15 m 50.52 s	+60° 22′ 50.1″	6,43	499	A7Vm
HD 98673		11h 21m 49.35s	+57° 04′ 29.4″	6,43	255	A7Vn
HD 77692		09h 06m 43.16s	+59° 20′ 40.4″	6,44	1132	A2V
HD 94084		10 h 52 m 32.11 s	+52° 30′ 13.4″	6,44	315	K2III
HD 95572		11h 03m 27.37s	+70° 01′ 51.0″	6,44	734	K0
HD 89389		10 h 20 m 14.88 s	+53° 46′ 45.4″	6,45	100	F9V
HD 120874		13 h 50 m 27.77 s	+58° 32′ 21.9″	6,45	269	A3V
HD 73029		08h 39m 10.10s	+59° 56′ 21.3″	6,47	360	A2Vn
HD 103500		11 h 55 m 14.10 s	+36° 45′ 23.4″	6,47	588	M3III
HD 119992		13 h 45 m 13.10 s	+55° 52′ 48.8″	6,47	110	F7IV-V
HD 123977		14 h 08 m 46.19 s	+59° 20′ 15.7″	6,47	438	K0III
HD 89221		10 h 18 m 32.91 s	+43° 02′ 55.1″	6,48	116	G5
HD 118536		13 h 36 m 39.89 s	+49° 29′ 12.1″	6,48	500	K1III
HD 82408		09h 33m 11.26s	+45° 30′ 49.9″	6,49	584	K0
HD 101150		11 h 38 m 49.12 s	+64° 20′ 49.1″	6,49	640	A5IV
HD 104179		11 h 59 m 57.41 s	+34° 02′ 04.8″	6,49	374	A9III
HD 118970		13 h 39 m 14.92 s	+51° 48′ 15.1″	6,49	1495	K2
HD 122064		13 h 57 m 32.10 s	+61° 29′ 32.4″	6,49	33	K3V
HD 81790		09h 29m 47.87s	+55° 44′ 43.2″	6,50	145	F3Vs
HD 83564		09h 41m 16.76s	+55° 51′ 59.7″	6,50	412	K1III-IV
HD 83886		09h 43m 07.00s	+54° 21′ 49.6″	6,50	299	A5m
HD 113436		13 h 02 m 40.46 s	+59° 42′ 58.8″	6,50	615	A3Vn
HD 117043		13 h 26 m 00.37 s	+63° 15′ 38.7″	6,50	70	G6V
28 Ursa Major		09 h 45 m 55.38 s	+63° 39′ 12.3″	6,51	252	F2V
65 Ursa Major		11h 55m 05.74s	+46° 28′ 36.6″	6,54	801	A3Vn
14 Lesser Leo		09 h 46 m 42.44 s	+45° 06′ 53.0″	6,81	270	K0IV
65 Ursa Major		11 h 55 m 11.32 s	+46° 28′ 11.2″	7,03	1025	A1sp…
72 Ursa Major		12 h 26 m 32.60 s	+55° 09′ 33.9″	7,03	472	Am
40 Ursa Major		10 h 45 m 59.86 s	+56° 55′ 14.9″	7,11	363	A8V
Lalande 21185		11h 03m 20.10s	+35° 58′ 12.0″	7,47	8,29	M2V	4th closest star; the presence of planets is assumed
W Ursa Major		h m c		7,75	162		prototype of Ursa Major W type variables, Vmax = +7.75m, Vmin = +8.48m, P = 0.3336 d
HD 118203		13 h 34 m 02.54 s	+53° 43′ 42.7″	8,07	289	K0	has planet b
HD 68988		08h 18m 22.17s	+61° 27′ 38.6″	8,21	192	G0	has planet b and unconfirmed planet c
HD 80606		09h 22m 37.57s	+50° 36′ 13.4″	8,93	190	G5	has planet b
Winnecke 4		h m c		9,0	510		M40; optical double star
SZ Ursa Major		h m c		9,31			variable star
R Ursa Major		10 h 44 m 38.80 s	+68° 46′ 33.0″	10,10			variable star
HAT-P-3		13 h 44 m 22.58 s	+48° 01′ 43.2″	11,86	457	K	has planet HAT-P-3 b
CF Ursa Major		h m c		12,00			variable star
WX Ursa Major		h m c		14,4			variable star

Notes:
1. To designate stars, Bayer's signs (ε Leo), as well as Flamsteed's numbering (54 Leo) and Draper's catalog (HD 94402) are used.
2. Remarkable stars include even those that are not visible without the help of optics, but in which planets or other features have been discovered.

Ursa Major is a constellation that schoolchildren become familiar with in 2nd grade while taking the course “The World Around us.”

It is important for children to learn how to find a star “bucket” in the night sky, because the constellation is a reference point for finding many other celestial objects.

Description of the constellation Ursa Major

Ursa Major (Ursa Major) is a constellation of the northern hemisphere, located in 3rd place in size. The common name for the celestial object is the Big Dipper, as the seven main stars form a shape similar to a ladle with a long handle.

In Eastern Europe and throughout Russia, the object is observed throughout the year(the exception is autumn in the southern regions of Russia, when the constellation is too low above the horizon). Best visibility is in early spring.

The Big Dipper has been known to mankind since ancient times and is significant in many cultures. The constellation is mentioned in the Bible and Homer's story "The Odyssey", its description is in the works of Ptolemy.

Ancient peoples associated the star figure with a camel, plow, boat, sickle, and basket. In Germany, the constellation is called the Great Basket, in China - the Imperial Chariot, in the Netherlands - the Pan, in Arab countries - the Tomb of the Mourners.

How many stars are in the constellation Ursa Major? There are seven in total, and they all have interesting names in different countries. Residents of Mongolia call them the Seven Gods, the Hindus call them the Seven Sages.

In the American Indian imagination, the three stars that form the “bucket handle” represent three hunters chasing a bear. Alpha and beta constellations are also called “pointers”, because with the help of these stars it is not difficult to find the North Star.

Ursa Major Bucket in autumn, winter, spring, summer

At different times of the year, the position of the “ursa bear” is not the same relative to the horizon. For better orientation, you should use a compass.

On a clear spring night, a cluster of stars is directly above the observer. From mid-April, the “bucket” begins to move west. Throughout the summer, the constellation gradually moves to the northwest and descends. In the last days of August, stars can be seen in the north, as low as possible above the horizon.

In the autumn sky, it is noticeable how the constellation slowly rises; during the winter months, as can be seen in the diagram below, moving to the northeast, it rises again in the spring as high as possible above the horizon.

To quickly find the constellation, you should remember that in summer it is in the northwest, in autumn - in the north, in winter - in the northeast, in spring - directly above the observer.

Depending on the time of day, the position of the star figure changes relative not only to the vault of heaven, but also to its own axis. The image below shows that in the evening in January-February the bucket is in the northeast (in the picture on the right) and its handle is pointing downwards.

During the night, the constellation passes through a semicircle, by morning it reaches the northwest (in the picture on the left), and the “handle” rushes upward.

In July-August the daily changes are opposite. The same contrast is observed in the spring and autumn months.

The position of the constellation in the sky is characterized by daily changes specific to each season of the year.

Stars of Ursa Major

Answering the question how many stars are in Ursa Major, the 7 most noticeable points are indicated. This seven forms the same “bucket” that is clearly visible in the night sky.

But in reality the constellation is more extensive and consists of a larger number of points. Stars of lesser brightness form the paws and face of the “bear”.

The seven main stars that are included in the constellation include:

1. Dubhe(“bear”) is the alpha constellation, the second most intense glow. One of two signs to the North Pole. A red giant located 125 light years from Earth.
2. Merak(translated as “loin”) is a beta star, the second pointer to the North Pole. The object is approximately 80 light years away from Earth, slightly larger in size than the Sun, and emits a powerful stream of infrared radiation.
3. Fekda(“hip”) is Gamma, a dwarf star located at a distance of just under 85 light years from our planet.
4. Megrets(from Arabic "base") - delta, a blue dwarf, more than 80 light years from Earth. The object was so named because it is the base of the long tail of the “heavenly beast”.
5. Alioth(“tail”) - epsilon, the brightest point of the constellation, is in 31st place in terms of luminosity of objects visible in the sky (magnitude 1.8). White star, luminosity 108 times higher than that of the Sun. One of 57 celestial objects used in navigation.
6. Mizar(from Arabic “belt”) is a zeta star, the fourth brightest in the “bucket”. The star is double, there is a less bright satellite - Alcor.
7. Alkaid(“leader”) or Benetnash (“crying”) - this star is the third in luminosity, the end of the “bear's tail”. Blue dwarf, distance – 100 light years from our planet.

The total number of objects in the constellation is about 125.

Of these, three pairs of stars located on the same line, located at a short distance from each other, should be noted:

• Alula Borealis (nu constellations) and Alula Australis (xi);
• Tania Borealis (lambda) and Tania Australis (mu);
• Talitha Borealis (iota) and Talitha Australis (kappa).

These three pairs are also called the three gazelle leaps, and in the map below they are located at the bottom of the star cluster.

The figure shows the location of the main seven stars and objects of the Talitha, Taniya and Alula groups.

The Legend of Ursa Major

There is an ancient Greek myth from which one can understand why the constellation Ursa Major is called that way.

Callisto, the heir of King Lycaon, was one of the most beautiful nymphs who served Artemis. Zeus turned his gaze to the beauty. He took the form of Artemis and seduced the girl. The goddess became angry when she noticed in the bath that her beloved nymph was pregnant and drove her away. Unhappy Callisto went to the mountains, where she gave birth to her son Arkas.

But the nymph’s misadventures did not stop there. Hera, the wife of the seducing god, learned about Arcas, the illegitimate son of Zeus, and in revenge turned her rival into a bear. As an adult, Arkas took up hunting. One day in the mountains he encountered a bear, but he could not even think that this was his own mother. The young man wanted to shoot an arrow at the beast, but Zeus stopped him.

The main god did not allow his son to commit a terrible act, but could not break the curse given to the Hero. Taking pity on the unfortunate Callisto, Zeus turned her and her son into stars and sent them to heaven. So the Big Dipper appeared in the sky, and next to her son, the Little Dipper.

How to find Ursa Major in the sky

In the temperate zone of Russia, the “Ursa Bear” is one of the non-setting constellations, as it is located near the North Pole. Finding a “bucket” in the sky in the evening and at night is not difficult. You only need to see a star cluster once to remember what it looks like.

In the photo below you can see what a “bucket” might look like in the night sky.

For those living at the latitude of Moscow, the best time to observe the star cluster is on an April night. In the time interval between 23 and 24 hours, the “bucket” will be at its zenith. The observer will only have to build the figure by points.

If it’s not April outside, then you should look for the “ursa” in other areas of the sky:

• January-February - northeast, angle above the horizon 30 - 70°, the figure is located vertically;
• March – east, angle 50 – 80°, the figure is almost vertical;
• May – west, 60 – 90°, the “bucket” is inclined downwards by 60 – 80°;
• June-July - northwest, elevation above the horizon 40 - 70°, downward inclination of the figure 20 - 60°;
• August-September – northwest (closer to the north), 20 – 50°, the figure is parallel to the horizon;
• October – north, angle 20 – 30°, “bucket” tilted upward by 10 – 30°;
• November-December - northeast (closer to the north), 20 - 40°, the figure is inclined upward by 30 - 80°.

After getting acquainted with Ursa Major, the possibilities for exploring the starry sky expand significantly. The North Star is the first thing you can find if you know the location of the large “bucket”. And Polaris (the alpha star of Ursa Minor) is the main celestial landmark in the cardinal directions.

Ursa Major (lat. Ursa Major) is a constellation in the northern hemisphere of the sky. The seven stars of Ursa Major form a shape resembling a ladle with a handle. The two brightest stars, Alioth and Dubhe, have a magnitude of 1.8 apparent magnitude. By the two extreme stars of this figure (α and β) you can find the North Star. The best visibility conditions are in March - April. Visible throughout Russia all year round (with the exception of the autumn months in southern Russia, when Ursa Major descends low to the horizon).

Short description

Big Dipper
Lat. Name	Ursa Major (genus Ursae Majoris)
Reduction	UMa
Symbol	Big Dipper
Right ascension	from 7 h 58 m to 14 h 25 m
Declension	from +29° to +73° 30’
Square	1280 sq. degrees (3rd place)
Brightest stars (value< 3 m)	Alioth (ε UMa) – 1.76 m Dubhe (α UMa) – 1.81 m Benetnash (η UMa) – 1.86 m Mizar (ζ UMa) – 2.23 m Merak (β UMa) – 2.34 m Fekda (γ UMa) – 2.41 m
Meteor showers	Ursids Leonids-Ursids April Ursids
Neighboring constellations	The Dragon Giraffe Little Leo Veronica's hair Hound Dogs Bootes
The constellation is visible at latitudes from +90° to -16°. The best time for observation is March.

Detailed description

The constellation Ursa Major is located in the northern hemisphere of the starry sky. People have known it for many thousands of years. He was known to astronomers in Egypt, Babylon, China and Ancient Greece. It was included by Claudius Ptolemy in his monograph “Almagest” back in the 2nd century. And this work united all the knowledge on astronomy for that period of time.

The Big Dipper is formed by the following seven stars:

1. Dubhe (Alpha Ursa Major), the name comes from the Arabic expression - “back of the big bear.”
2. Merak (β) – from Arabic “loin” or “groin”.
3. Fekda (γ) – “thigh”.
4. Megrets (δ) – “base of the tail.” It is the faintest star among the stars of the Big Dipper.
5. Aliot (ε) – “fat tail”. The brightest star in this constellation.
6. Mizar (ζ) – from Arabic – “belt”. Near Mizar there is another star - Alcor. It is noteworthy that the ability to distinguish between these two stars is a consequence of good vision (with myopia of no more than 1 diopter).
7. Benetnash (η) or otherwise – Alkaid. The third brightest star in Ursa Major. “Al-Qaeda banat ours” is translated from Arabic as “leader of the mourners.”

As you can see, this formation includes 7 stars. If you connect them with a straight line, you get a figure that resembles a ladle with a handle. Each star has its own name. At the top point of the bucket, opposite the handle, there is a star, which is called Dubhe. It is the second brightest among its cosmic counterparts. This is a multiple star. That is, several stars from Earth are seen as one due to their close distance to each other.

In this case we are dealing with 3 stars. The largest of them is a red giant. That is, the core has already lost all its hydrogen reserves, and a thermonuclear reaction is taking place on the surface of the star. It dies, and over time it should turn into a white dwarf or become a black hole. The other two stars are Main Sequence stars, that is, the same as our Sun.

On the same straight line with Dubhe, at the base of the bucket, there is a star Merak. This is a very bright light. It is 69 times brighter than our Sun, but due to the vastness of outer space it does not make the proper impression. If the straight line between Merak and Dubhe is extended towards the constellation Ursa Minor, then you can run into the North Star. It is located at a distance that is 5 times the distance between the indicated luminaries.

The other lowest point of the bucket is called Fekda. This is a Main Sequence star. The top point of the bucket located opposite it is called Megrets. She is the dimmest in the friendly company. This star is almost 1.5 times larger than our star and 14 times brighter.

There is a star at the beginning of the handle Alioth. It is the brightest in the constellation Ursa Major. Among all the visible stars in the sky, it ranks 33rd in brightness. From the end of the handle it is the third in a row, and the second is a star Mizar. Next to it there is another luminary, which is called Alcor. Anyone with good eyesight can see it. They say that in ancient times, Alcor was used to test the visual acuity of young men who aspired to become sailors. If a young man could see this star next to Mizar, then he was enrolled as a sailor.

In reality, not 2 stars shine in the cosmic distance, but as many as 6. These are the double stars Mizar A and Mizar B, as well as the double star Alcor. But from Earth, with the naked eye, only a large bright point and a small one that is nearby are visible. These are the kind of surprises that space sometimes brings.

And finally, the outermost star. It is called Benetnash or Alkaid. All these names are taken from Arabic. In this case, the literal translation means “leader of the mourners.” That is, the alkaid is the leader, and our banat is the mourners. This star is the third brightest after Aliot and Dubhe. It ranks 35th among the brightest stars in the sky.

The brightest stars of Ursa Major

Star	α (2000)	δ (2000)	V	Sp. Class	Distance	Luminosity	Notes
Alioth	12h 54min 01.7s	+55° 57′ 35″	1,76	A0Vp	81	108
Dubhe	11 03 43,6	+61 45 03	1,79	K0IIIa	124	235	Triple. ΑΒ=0.7″ AC=378″
Benetnash	13 47 32,3	+49 18 48	1,86	B3V	101	146
Mizar	13 23 55,5	+54 55 31	2,27	A1Vp	86	71	6 star system including Alcor A and B
Merak	11 01 50,4	+56 22 56	2,37	A1V	78	55
Fekda	11 53 49,8	+53 41 41	2,44	A0Ve	84	59
ψ UMa	11 09 39,7	+44 29 54	3,01	K1III	147	108
μUMa	10 22 19,7	+41 29 58	3,05	M0III	249	296	sp. double?
ιUMa	08 59 12,4	+48 02 30	3,14	A7IV	48	10	sp. double and wholesale double
θ UMa	09 32 51,3	+51 40 38	3,18	F6IV	44	8

Other objects of Ursa Major

In addition to the Big Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Major you can also see an asterism called the Three Leaps of the Gazelle, which looks like three pairs of stars.

We are talking about the following pairs:

1. Alula North South (ν and ξ),
2. Taniya North and South (λ and μ),
3. Talitha North and South (ι and κ).

Near Alupa North there is a red dwarf called Lalande 21185, which is elusive to observation with the naked eye. However, it is the sixth closest star system to the Sun. Closer to the stars Sirius A and B.

Observational astronomers are well aware that this constellation contains the galaxy M101 (called Pinwheel), as well as the galaxies M81 and M82. The last two form the core of what is probably the closest group of galaxies, located at a distance of about 7 million light years. In contrast to these distant objects, the astronomical body M 97 (“Owl”) is located within the Milky Way, hundreds of times closer. The Owl is one of the largest planetary nebulae.

In the middle, between the first and second “gazelle jump”, using optics you can see a small yellow dwarf similar to our Sun number 47. From 2000 to 2010, scientists discovered three exoplanets, gas giants, orbiting around it. This star system is also one of the most similar to the Solar System and ranks 72nd on the list of candidates for the search for Earth-like planets carried out as part of the planned NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder mission. So for an astronomy lover, the constellation is of great interest.

In 2013 and 2016, two of the most distant galaxies from us were discovered in the constellation, z8 GND 5296 and GN-z11, respectively. The light from these galaxies, recorded by scientists, lasted 13.02 (z8 GND 5296) and 13.4 (GN-z11) billion years.

This is how we can characterize the constellation Ursa Major, known since ancient times. This cosmic region also includes many galaxies. For example, the Pinwheel galaxy. It is better known as M 101. In size it exceeds the Milky Way. Its detailed photographs were taken by the Hubble telescope at the beginning of the 21st century. To get to this huge cluster of stars, you need to spend 8 million light years.

The Owl Nebula is also of interest. It enters our galaxy and looks like two dark spots located nearby. In 1848, Lord Ross believed that these spots were similar to the eyes of an owl. This is where the name came from. This nebula is approximately 6 thousand years old, and it is located at a distance of 2300 light years from the Solar system.

But the most interesting thing is that the constellation Ursa Major is considered as one of the likely sources of extraterrestrial intelligence. In this part of space there is a certain star called 47UMa. It is a yellow dwarf and its planetary system is very similar to our solar system. At least, today there are 3 known planets orbiting this star. In 2003, a radio message was sent to him. Earthlings persistently search for brothers in mind, and luck always accompanies those who persist.

How to find the Big Dipper in the sky?

If you want to learn how to navigate the starry sky, then your primary task is to be able to find the Big Dipper bucket. Although it is not far from the North Star, it is still not so close to it as to be at one point in the sky all the time.

The Big Dipper is easiest to spot in the fall and winter. At this time, in the evenings, the asterism is located in the north, low above the horizon and in our usual position.

Towards the end of winter, the position of Ursa Major in the evening sky changes. The seven stars of the bucket shift to the east, and the Big Dipper itself stands vertically on the handle.

There is nothing surprising. Let us remember that every day all the stars describe circles around the celestial pole, thereby reflecting the rotation of the Earth around its axis. But over the course of a year, the stars make one more additional circle, thereby reflecting the movement of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun. The stars of Ursa Major are no exception - moving from the lowest point, the bucket seems to rear up.

In mid-spring, Ursa Major is at its zenith in the evenings, right above your head! At this time, it is in an inverted position in relation to the North Star. Its ladle faces west, and its handle faces east.

For those who live north of Moscow, the most difficult time to find the Big Dipper in the sky is in the summer, during the period of short nights. At this time, the constellation is in the west, and the bucket is tilted down and looking north.

How to find the North Star using Ursa Major?

Now let's see how to find the North Star using Ursa Major. This is done simply. Take the two outermost stars in the bucket, Dubha and Merak (alpha and beta Ursa Major), and mentally connect them with a line. And then extend this line five times the distance Merak - Dubhe.

You will see a star whose brilliance is approximately equal to the brilliance of the stars of the bucket. This is the famous Polar Star, the “iron nail,” as the Kazakhs called it, meaning the immobility of the Polar Star in the earth’s firmament.

Knowing the position of the North Star, you can easily navigate in space. Draw a plumb line from Polyarnaya down. The place where it intersects with the horizon will point north. The rest of the cardinal directions are easy to find: east will be on the right, south behind you, and west on the left. So, guided by the stars, in Russia in the Middle Ages they built the Moscow-Yaroslavl and Moscow-Vladimir roads, straight as an arrow.

Secrets of the constellation Ursa Major: how different peoples saw it

Egypt "Bull's Thigh"

The ancient Egyptians were among the first astronomers in history, with some of their round stone "observatories" dating back as far as the fifth millennium BC. It was the Egyptians who laid the foundations of the constellation system that was borrowed from them by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, the Greeks, the Arabs, and then by modern science. At that dizzyingly distant time, due to the precession of the earth's axis, it was not the North Star that pointed north, but Alpha Draconis (Thuban). Its surroundings, together with the nearest luminaries, were considered by the Egyptians to be the “fixed sky,” the habitat of the gods. Instead of a ladle, the priests could see the leg of Set, the god of war and death, who turned into a bull and killed Osiris with a blow of his hoof. Falcon-headed Horus cut off his limb in revenge for the murder of his father.

China "Emperor Shangdi's Cart"

The astronomers of Ancient China divided the sky into 28 vertical sectors, “houses,” through which the Moon passes on its monthly journey, just as the Sun passes through the signs of the Zodiac in its annual rotation in Western astrology, which borrowed the 12-sector division from the Egyptians. In the center of the heavens, like an emperor in the capital of a state, the Chinese placed the North Star, which by that time had already taken its usual place. The seven brightest stars of the Big Dipper are located in honorable proximity to it, within the Purple Fence - one of the three Fences surrounding the palace of the “royal” star. They could be described as the Northern Dipper, whose orientation corresponds to the seasons, or as part of the carriage of the Shangdi Heavenly Emperor.

India "Seven Wise Men"

Observational astronomy in ancient India did not develop as brilliantly as, say, mathematics. Its ideas were greatly influenced by both Greece and China - for example, the 27-28 “stays” (nakshatras) through which the Moon passes in about a month are very reminiscent of the Chinese lunar “houses”. Hindus also attached great importance to the North Star, which, according to experts in the Vedas, is the abode of Vishnu himself. The Ladle asterism located underneath it was considered the Saptarishas - seven sages born from the mind of Brahma, the forefathers of the world of our era (Kali Yuga) and everyone living in it.

Greece "Bear"

Ursa Major is one of 48 constellations listed in Ptolemy's star catalog around 140 BC, although it was first mentioned much earlier, in Homer. The intricate Greek myths offer different backstories for its appearance, although everyone agrees that the bear is the beautiful Callisto, companion of the hunter goddess Artemis. According to one version, using his usual tricks with transformation, the loving Zeus seduced her, provoking the wrath of both his wife Hera and Artemis herself. Saving his mistress, the Thunderer turned her into a bear, who wandered in the mountain forests for many years until her own son, born of Zeus, met her while hunting. The Supreme God had to intervene once again. Preventing matricide, he ascended both to heaven.

America "Great Bear"

It seems that the Indians understood something about wild animals: in the Iroquois legend about the origin of the asterism, the “heavenly bear” does not have any tail. The three stars that form the handle of the ladle are three hunters pursuing the beast: Aliot draws a bow with an arrow embedded in it, Mizar carries a cauldron for cooking meat (Alcor), and Benetnash carries an armful of brushwood to light the fire. In the fall, when the Bucket turns and sinks low to the horizon, the blood from the wounded bear drips down, painting the trees in variegated colors.

• The closest bright star in Ursa Major– star South Alula or xi Ursa Major. This is a beautiful double star that can be separated into its components in a telescope with a lens greater than 80mm. Both components are similar in their characteristics to the Sun and each of them also has a satellite - a cool red dwarf! The distance to ξ Ursa Major is 29 sv. years. A little further away is the star θ - 44 light years from the Sun. Well, the farthest of the bright stars in the constellation is the red giant μ Ursa Major, one of the stars in the front “paw” of the Ursa Major. The distance to it is 249 light years.
• The constellation Ursa Major is featured on the Alaska flag. The flag of White Sea Karelia, which was approved on June 21, 1918, depicts the Big Dipper. Also, the flag with the image of the Big Dipper is used by Irish left-wing radical organizations.
• You can admire the Big Dipper during the day. This can easily be done by finding it on one of the interactive constellation maps. On the maps you can find other large and small constellations and look at them at close range.
• Need I say that the huge constellation Ursa Major is a real treasure trove for a true astronomy lover?! This part of the sky contains a huge number of attractions that can be observed with small telescopes: double and variable stars, several bright galaxies and dozens of fainter galaxies, an open star cluster and even a planetary nebula. There is no way to fit descriptions of these objects into one article. Therefore, we decided to publish separate articles devoted to observations of the sights of the Big Dipper.

Video

Sources

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bear https://biguniverse.ru/posts/sozvezdie-bolshaya-medveditsa/ http://spacegid.com/sozvezdie-bolshoy-medveditsyi.html