Ursa Major
| Constellation | |
|
|
| Abbreviation | UMa |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Ursae Majoris |
| Pronunciation |
/ˈɜːrsə ˈmeɪdʒər/, genitive /ˌɜːrsiː məˈdʒɒrᵻs/ |
| Symbolism | the Great Bear |
| Right ascension | 10.67 |
| Declination | +55.38 |
| Family | Ursa Major |
| Quadrant | NQ2 |
| Area | 1280 sq. deg. (3rd) |
| Main stars | 7, 20 |
|
Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
93 |
| Stars with planets | 21 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 7 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 8 |
| Brightest star | ε UMa (Alioth) (1.76m) |
| Nearest star |
Lalande 21185 (8.31 ly, 2.55 pc) |
| Messier objects | 7 |
| Meteor showers |
Alpha Ursa Majorids Leonids-Ursids |
| Bordering constellations |
Draco Camelopardalis Lynx Leo Minor Leo Coma Berenices Canes Venatici Boötes |
|
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −30°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of April.  |
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Ursa Major (/ˈɜːrsə ˈmeɪdʒər/; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. One of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy (second century AD), it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It can be visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. Its name, Latin for "the greater (or larger) she-bear", stands as a reference to and in direct contrast with Ursa Minor, "the lesser she-bear", with which it is frequently associated in mythology and amateur astronomy. The constellation's most recognizable asterism, a group of seven relatively bright stars commonly known as the "Big Dipper", "the Wagon" or "the Plough" (among others), both mimics the shape of the lesser bear (the "Little Dipper") and is commonly used as a navigational pointer towards the current northern pole star, Polaris in Ursa Minor. The Big Dipper and the constellation as a whole have mythological significance in numerous world cultures, usually as a symbol of the north.
The third largest constellation in the sky, Ursa Major is home to many deep-sky objects including seven Messier objects, four other NGC objects and I Zwicky 18, which is potentially the youngest-known galaxy in the visible universe.
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