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Ursa Major and Polaris with names of bright stars in the Big Dipper The constellation Ursa Major as it can be seen by the unaided eye The outline of the seven bright stars of Ursa Major form the asterism known as the " Big Dipper " in the United States and Canada, while in the United Kingdom it is called the Plough [ 6 ] or (historically ...
The Big Dipper seen from Fujian. The constellation of Ursa Major (Latin: Greater Bear) has been seen as a bear, a wagon, or a ladle.The "bear" tradition is Indo-European (appearing in Greek, as well as in Vedic India), [7] but apparently the name "bear" has parallels in Siberian or North American traditions.
The Big Dipper asterism. The Big Dipper, also known as The Plough or Charles's Wain, is composed of the seven brightest stars in Ursa Major. [5] These stars delineate the Bear's hindquarters and exaggerated tail, or alternatively, the "handle" forming the upper outline of the bear's head and neck.
Mizar is known as Vasishtha, one of the Saptarishi, and Alcor as Arundhati, wife of Vasishtha, in Indian astronomy. [8] As a married couple, they are considered to symbolize marriage and in some Hindu communities to this day priests conducting a wedding ceremony allude to or point out the asterism as a symbol of the closeness marriage brings to a couple.
Alcor (/ ˈ æ l k ɔːr /) [8] is a binary star system in the constellation of Ursa Major. It is the fainter companion of Mizar, the two stars forming a naked eye double in the handle of the Big Dipper (or Plough) asterism in Ursa Major. The two lie about 83 light-years away from the Sun, as measured by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite.
Mizar / ˈ m aɪ z ɑːr / [17] is a second-magnitude star in the handle of the Big Dipper asterism in the constellation of Ursa Major. It has the Bayer designation ζ Ursae Majoris (Latinised as Zeta Ursae Majoris). It forms a well-known naked eye double star with the fainter star Alcor, and is itself a quadruple star system.
Along with four other stars in this well-known asterism, Phecda forms a loose association of stars known as the Ursa Major moving group. [7] Like the other stars in the group, it is a main sequence star, as the Sun is, although somewhat hotter, brighter and larger.
Alkaid / æ l ˈ k eɪ d /, also called Eta Ursae Majoris (Latinised from η Ursae Majoris, abbreviated Eta UMa, η UMa), [10] [11] is a star in the constellation of Ursa Major. It is the easternmost star in the Big Dipper (or Plough) asterism. However, unlike most stars of the Big Dipper, it is not a member of the Ursa Major moving group. [12]