Big Dipper Also known as Saptarishi in India, the big dipper constellation is formed of seven stars and is visible in the Northern Hemisphere in the sky. It is also known as Ursa Major. It is generally observed during the summer in the early part of the season.
The Big Dipper (US) or the Plough (UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude.
A common query we ran across in our research was “Is the Big Dipper and Ursa Major the same constellation?”.
Ursa Major constellation covers a much larger area of the sky than the Big Dipper, but the stars marking the bear’s head, torso, legs and feet are not as bright or as easy to see as the seven stars marking its tail and hindquarters.
What is another name for the Big Dipper?
A few other such stars have been identified, and together they are called the Ursa Major Moving Group. The stars Merak (β Ursae Majoris) and Dubhe (α Ursae Majoris) are known as the “pointer stars” because they are helpful for finding Polaris, also known as the North Star or Pole Star.
One source claimed the Big Dipper is one of the most easily recognizable asterisms in the night sky, found in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The Big Dipper is well-known in many cultures and goes by many names, among them the Plough, the Great Wagon, Saptarishi, and the Saucepan.
Where is the Big Dipper asterism located?
The Big Dipper asterism is located in the constellation of Ursa Major, the third largest constellation in the sky. Ursa Major spreads out for over 1,280 square degrees. The bright stars that form the famous Big Dipper asterism are easy to find by locating Ursa Major.