Big Dipper map

A group of the brightest stars of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, form a well-known asterism that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial. Image File history File links Ursa_Major_constellation_detail_map. ... Image File history File links Ursa_Major_constellation_detail_map. ... STAR is an acronym for: Organizations Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers], the self-regulatory body for the entertainment ticket industry in the UK. Society for Telescopy, Astronomy, and Radio, a non-profit New Jersey astronomy club. ... Photo of the familiar constellation Orion. ... Ursa Major (IPA: ) is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. ... In astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars seen in Earths sky which is not an official constellation. ...

Names and lore

Europe

In the United Kingdom this pattern is known as the Plough (although in northern England it is occasionally referred to as the Butcher's Cleaver). It was formerly called by the old name Charles' Wain ("wain" meaning "wagon," and derived from the still older Carlswæn) as it still is in Scandinavia, Karlavagnen, or Karlsvognen. This common Germanic name originally meant the men's wagon (the churls' wagon) in contrast to the women's wagon (Little Dipper). A folk etymology holds that it was named after Charlemagne. In Slavic languages and Romanian language, it is known as "Great Wagon", as opposed to "Small Wagon", Little Dipper. In Russia, it is called Big Mother Bear. In German it is called Großer Wagen (Great Cart). An older Odin's Wain may lie behind these northern concepts. Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region centered on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe which includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. ... Ursa Minor is a constellation in the northern sky, the name of which means Small Bearin Latin. ... Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways: A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word, a false etymology. ... Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ...  Countries where a West Slavic language is the national language  Countries where an East Slavic language is the national language  Countries where a South Slavic language is the national language The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages), a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup... Romanian (limba română, IPA: ) is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people[1], primarily in Romania and Moldova. ... Ursa Minor is a constellation in the northern sky, the name of which means Small Bearin Latin. ...

In Finland the figure is known as Otava and widely used as a cultural symbol. It is also the name of a Finnish publishing house (see: Otava). The editorial offices in the centre of Helsinki. ...

In Ireland the figure is known as the Starry Plough and has been used as a political symbol. The original Starry Plough banner. ...

The Casserole (saucepan) is a name for the grouping in southern France.

The Big Dipper

These seven stars ("Septentrio") are the origin of the Latin word septentriones meaning "north" and now found as the adjective septentrional (northern) in English, French, and Spanish. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 1368 pixel, file size: 354 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) ISS006-E-40545 (March 2003) --- The bowl and a portion of the “handle” stars of the Big Dipper are visible in this photograph taken by astronaut... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 1368 pixel, file size: 354 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) ISS006-E-40545 (March 2003) --- The bowl and a portion of the “handle” stars of the Big Dipper are visible in this photograph taken by astronaut... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Septentrional is a rarely used word that means of the north. Early maps of North America, mostly those before 1700, often refer to the northern- or northwestern-most unexplored areas of the continent at Septentrional or America Septentrionalis, sometimes with slightly alternate spellings. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Asia

In Hindu astronomy, it is referred to as (Vrihat) Sapta Rishi meaning "The Seven (Great) Sages". Hindu Astronomy is one of the ancient astronomical systems of the world. ... Saptaŗişhi or Saptarşi (सप्तर्षि, pronounced as səptərŞhi) in Sanskrit means the Seven Sages or rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and other Hindu literature. ...

Throughout eastern Asia, these stars compose the Northern Dipper. They are colloquially named "The Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper" (Chinese: 北斗七星; pinyin: běidǒu qīxīng; Japanese Romaji: hokuto shichisei; Korean: 북두칠성). Vietnamese : chòm sao Bắc Đẩu Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji The romanization of Japanese is the use of the Latin alphabet (called rōmaji )   in Japanese) to write the Japanese language, which is normally written in logographic characters borrowed from Chinese (kanji) and syllabic scripts...

In Malaysia,it is known as Buruj Biduk (The Ladle). Silver ladle - Hallmarked 1876-7 (on 5cm squares) Aluminium ladle (on 5cm squares) Melamine ladle (on 5cm squares) Steel ladle (on 5cm squares) A ladle is a type of spoon used to serve soup or other liquids. ...

North America

The flag of the state of Alaska features a stylized Big Dipper and North Star.

In North America it is universally known as the Big Dipper because the major stars can be seen to follow the rough outline of a large ladle or dipper. This figuration appears to be derived originally from Africa, where it was sometimes seen as a drinking gourd. In the 19th century, runaway slaves would follow the Drinking Gourd to the north and freedom. Image File history File links Flag_of_Alaska. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Alaska. ... The flag of Alaska The flag of Alaska consists of eight gold stars, forming the Big Dipper and the North Star, on a dark blue field. ... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Polaris (α UMi / α Ursae Minoris / Alpha Ursae Minoris), more commonly known as The North Star or simply North Star, is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Drinkin Gourd is another name for the Big Dipper asterism. ...

A widespread American Indian figuration had the bowl as a bear. Some groups considered the handle to be three cubs following their mother, while others pictured three hunters tracking the bear. (For example, see Abenaki mythology.) The Dipper appears on some Tribal flags. The Abenaki (also Wabanaki) are a Native American tribe located in the northeastern United States. ... The current flag of the Cherokee Nation. ...

Other

The Bible refers to it as "the seven stars" (Amos 5:8), though some translations have "Big Dipper" explicitly, and some translations of that verse refer to the Pleiades, which also has seven stars, instead. This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... For alternate meanings see Pleiades (disambiguation). ...

In Tolkien's Middle-earth mythos, it is called the Sickle of the Valar, the sign of Hope signifying doom for Evil, while in T.A. Barron's Great Tree of Avalon series, it is called the Wizard's Staff, symbolizing Merlin's staff. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English philologist, writer and university professor, best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. ... A map of the Northwestern part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens legendarium, the Valacirca (Sickle of the Valar) is a constellation of seven stars set in the sky by Varda as an enduring warning to Melkor and his servants. ... T. (Tom) A. Barron (born March 26, 1952 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American writer of young adult and fantasy literature. ... For other uses, see Merlin (disambiguation). ...

In the manga series Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken), the Hokuto in the original Japanese title refers not to the North Star in the official English title, but to the Big Dipper instead (Hokuto literally means Northern Dipper). The main character, Kenshiro, bears seven scars on his chests that forms the same shape as the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper itself or Hokuto Shichisei is a recurring symbolism in the series. This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... This article is about the manga and anime franchise. ... Polaris is not exactly at the celestial pole, as this time-exposure photo shows. ... For the musician, see Kenshiro (musician) Kenshiro ), or just Ken as he is often called, is the central character of the Fist of the North Star manga, anime, and other related works. ...

Stars

The Big Dipper seen from Kauai in August 2007

Within Ursa Major the stars of the Big Dipper have Bayer designations in consecutive Greek alphabetical order from the bowl to the handle. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 399 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1651 × 2478 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 399 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1651 × 2478 pixel, file size: 1. ... Kauai (Hawaiian IPA pron. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... The Greek alphabet is an alphabet that has been used to write the Greek language since about the 9th century BCE. It was the first alphabet in the narrow sense, that is, a writing system using a separate symbol for each vowel and consonant alike. ...

Near Mizar is a star called Alcor that is believed to be an optical companion. At magnitude 4.1, Alcor would normally be relatively easy to see with the unaided eye, but its proximity to Mizar renders it more difficult to resolve, and it has served as a traditional test of sight. In the 17th century, Mizar itself was discovered to be a binary star system — the first telescopic binary found. The component stars are known as Mizar A and Mizar B. In 1889, Mizar A was discovered to in fact be a binary as well, the first spectroscopic binary discovered, and with the subsequent discovery that Mizar B itself is also a binary, in total Mizar currently is known to be at least a quadruple star system. Alpha Ursae Majoris (α UMa / α Ursae Majoris) is the second-brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Major (despite its Bayer designation of alpha). It also has the traditional name Dubhe. ... Beta Ursae Majoris (β UMa / β Ursae Majoris) is a star in the constellation of Ursa Major. ... Gamma Ursae Majoris (γ UMa / γ Ursae Majoris) is a star in the constellation Ursa Major. ... Megrez is the star Delta Ursae Maioris. ... Ursa Major Epsilon Ursae Majoris (ε UMa / ε Ursae Majoris) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major (despite its Bayer designation being merely epsilon), and at magnitude 1. ... Mizar (ζ UMa) is a star in the constellation Ursa Major, lying just at the corner of the Big Dippers handle. ... Eta Ursae Majoris (η UMa / η Ursae Majoris) is a star in the constellation Ursa Major. ... Mizar (ζ UMa) is a star in the constellation Ursa Major, lying just at the corner of the Big Dippers handle. ... This topic is about the astronomical phenomenon. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... For the band of the same name, see: Binary Star (band) Hubble image of the Sirius binary system, in which Sirius B can be clearly distinguished (lower left). ... A visual binary star is a binary star for which the angular separation between the two components is great enough to permit them to be observed as a double star in a telescope. ... A spectroscopic binary star is a binary star which cannot be resolved as a visual binary, even with telescopes of the highest existing resolving power. ... A quadruple star system or quaternary star system is a star system composed of four stars. ...

Five of the stars of the Big Dipper are at the core of the Ursa Major Moving Group. The two at the ends, Dubhe and Alkaid, are not part of the swarm, and are moving in the opposite direction. Relative to the central five, they are moving down and to the right in the map. This will slowly change the Dipper's shape, with the bowl opening up and the handle becoming more bent. In 50,000 years the Dipper will no longer exist as we know it, but be re-formed into a new Dipper facing the opposite way. The stars Alkaid to Phecda will then constitute the bowl, while Phecda, Merak, and Dubhe will be the handle. The Ursa Major Moving Group is the closest moving group to Earth, with its core being located roughly 80 light years away. ...

Guidepost

Not only are the stars in the Big Dipper easily found themselves, but they may also be used as guides to yet other stars. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

• Polaris, the North Star, is found by imagining a line from Merak to Dubhe and then extending it for five times the distance between the two Pointers.
• Extending a line from Megrez to Phecda, on the inside of the bowl, leads to Regulus (α Leonis.
• Crossing the top of the bowl from Megrez to Dubhe takes one in the direction of Capella (α Aurigae).
• Castor and Pollux (α and β Geminorum) can be located by crossing the bottom of the bowl from Phecda to Merak and continuing onward.
• By following the curve of the handle from Alioth to Mizar to Alkaid, one reaches Arcturus (α Boötis) and Spica (α Virginis). A mnemonic for this is "Arc to Arcturus then speed to Spica."

Also, the approximate location of the Hubble Deep Field can be found by following a line from Phecda to Megrez and continuing on for the same distance again. Polaris (α UMi / α Ursae Minoris / Alpha Ursae Minoris), more commonly known as The North Star or simply North Star, is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. ... Regulus (α Leo / α Leonis / Alpha Leonis) is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Leo (IPA: , Latin: , symbol , ) is a constellation of the zodiac. ... Capella (α Aur / α Aurigae / Alpha Aurigae) is the brightest star in the constellation Auriga and sixth brightest star in the sky. ... Auriga (IPA: , Latin: ) is a northern constellation. ... Castor (α Gem / α Geminorum / Alpha Geminorum) is the second brightest star in the constellation Gemini and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Pollux (β Gem / β Geminorum / Beta Geminorum) is one of the brightest star in the constellation Gemini and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Gemini (IPA: , Latin: , symbol , ) is one of the constellations of the zodiac known as the twins. It is part of the winter sky, lying between Taurus to the west and the dim Cancer to the east, with Auriga and the near-invisible Lynx to the north and Monoceros and Canis... Arcturus (α Boo / α Boötis / Alpha Boötis) (IPA: ) is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes, and the third brightest star in the night sky, with a visual magnitude of −0. ... Boötes (IPA: Greek: herdsman) is one of the 88 modern constellations and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. ... Spica (α Vir / α Virginis / Alpha Virginis) is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Virgo (IPA: , Latin: , symbol , ) is a constellation of the zodiac. ... For other uses, see Mnemonic (disambiguation). ... The Hubble Deep Field The Hubble Deep Field (HDF) is the result of a series of observations by the Hubble Space Telescope of a small region of the northern celestial hemisphere. ...

See also

• Ursa Major, the constellation of which the Big Dipper is part
• Little Dipper
• Gallery of astronomical flags