How many stars are in Ursa Major?

Ursa Major is a large server constellation. The seven main bright stars of the constellation form the well-known and famous bucket. The constellation Ursa Major contains 210 stars visible to the naked eye.

There are only 7 stars in the constellation Ursa Major.

They are arranged in the shape of a bucket.



Once the constellation Ursa Major was called Seven Wise Men

Seven Stars:

1. Star Benetas
2. star Aliot
3. star dubhe
4. star Merak
5. star Fekda
6. star Megrets
7. star Mizar

There is a legend that the North Pole - the Arctic was named after the constellation Ursa Major.

The ancient Greeks called her Arkos, hence the word arctic - Arctic.

Constellation Ursa Major is a very important constellation. It is easily located in the sky and helps to find the Polar Starquot ;. Therefore, it is important for every person to know where he is and how many stars are included in the constellation Ursa Major. These are seven stars, namely: Benetash, Aliot, Dubhe, Merak, Fekda, Megrets, Mizar.

Dear chela, no one can accurately and unambiguously answer your question. And the point is not only that not a single stellar astronomer knows the exact answer, but also that the number of observed stars will depend, figuratively speaking, on the chosen frame of reference. If observed in major city, for example, such as Moscow, through its dusty and light-polluted atmosphere, it is good if in this constellation we can see a dozen of the brightest stars. Observing the constellation somewhere on the western border of the Moscow region, an observer with keen eyesight will be able to see stars up to about the sixth magnitude (6m). And the total number of stars that he can observe in the constellation Ursa Major will be about 120. If this observer observes the constellation, being at a point with a wonderful astroclimate, for example, somewhere in Hawaii, near the Mauna Kea observatory, at an altitude above 4000 meters, then he will be able to see stars up to 7m without instruments. In this case, the number of stars observed with the naked eye in the constellation Ursa Major will be approximately 240-250. But a record number of stars in the constellation Ursa Major can be seen in the Palomar Sky Atlas. It registered objects up to 21m. And these are not only the stars of our Galaxy, but also great amount other galaxies and their clusters. But different galaxies contain from tens of millions to hundreds of billions of stars. So it is almost impossible to count all the stars that are within the boundaries of the constellation Ursa Major.

And, sorry, I'll correct you a little. Polaris is the alpha of Ursa Minor.

One of the most beautiful and most recognizable constellations northern hemisphere the sky is a constellation Big Dipper. On a clear night, seven main stars stand out brightly, but in fact, 125 can be distinguished with the naked eye. There are many double stars in the constellation. The most famous, by which visual acuity is determined, is Mizar and Alcor what does Horse and Horsemanquot ;.



But the North Star is part of Ursa Minor.

Big Dipper- one of the most famous, most noticeable and largest constellations of the sky. It is especially well observed in the northern hemisphere, as it belongs to the circumpolar constellations (it can be observed all year round, especially part of the constellation - the Big Dipper).

There are a huge number of stars in the constellation Ursa Major.

If we talk about the Big Dipper (as part of the constellation), then the most noticeable to the naked eye are 7 stars that make up the handle of the bucket and the bucket itself. It is noteworthy that the middle star of the bucket handle is a star Mizar is a double star (together with a less noticeable rider - a star Alcor. Therefore, it is worth talking about 8 stars of the Big Dipper. Although there are actually many more stars in the constellation.

In the Big Dipper seven stars. By their arrangement, they resemble a large bucket with a handle.

Moreover, each star in this constellation has its own name:



Three names can be seen in the picture:

• Benetash (translated from Arabic means the leader of the mourners),
• Aliot (translation unknown)
• Dubhe (translated as bear).

The rest have the following names:

• Merak (?) translates as loins,
• Fekda (?) in the translation of the thigh,
• Megrec (?) means the beginning of the tail,
• Mizar (?) is translated as a sash.

• I remember, sitting at an astronomy lesson, the teacher told us about this or that constellation. A separate lesson was about the Big Dipper. They told me where to look, exactly where to look. Separately, they forced me to write in a notebook the stars that are in the Big Dipper.

  Benetash, Aliot, Duhbe, Merak, Fekda, Megrets, Mizar.

  These are the school times =) It was interesting

  And it's good that there were no control tests in astronomy

  And so much knowledge ... =)

  If we talk about the stars that make up the constellation Ursa Major, then there are exactly seven of them, you should not count double stars as two, since they still cannot be separated by an eye. In extreme cases, you can consider the eighth star of the constellation the star Alcor, which is seen next to Mizar. in ancient times, this pair of stars was called a horse and a rider, and it was believed that a person who was able to see Alcor had excellent eyesight. If we count the stars that are located and can be observed in the area occupied by the constellation Ursa Major, then there are really a lot of such stars. The constellation includes more than 200 stars that can be seen with a simple telescope. And how much you can see with the Herschel telescope is scary to even imagine. But still, I repeat, the constellation itself is formed by only 7 stars.

  

  A person with normal vision can see about a hundred stars. With the help of instruments, you can see thousands of stars. The constellation also includes the stars of galaxies, in which there are also many thousands of stars. And how many stars do we just not see? And there are seven stars in the bucket, one of them is double.

> Ursa Major

An object	Designation	Meaning of the name	Object type	magnitude
1	M40	Not	double star	8.40
2	M81	Bode Galaxy	spiral galaxy	6.90
3	M82	Cigar	barred spiral galaxy	8.40
4	M97	Owl Nebula	planetary nebula	9.90
5	M101	pinwheel	spiral galaxy	7.90
6	M108	Not	spiral galaxy	10.00
7	M109	Not	spiral galaxy	9.80
8	Aliot	"Black Horse"	Blue and white subdwarf	1.77
9	Dubhe	"Big Bear's Back"	Blue and white subdwarf	1.79
10	Benetnash	"Leader of the Wailers"	blue subgiant	1.86
11	Mizar	"Belt"	blue subgiant	2.27
12	Merak	"Groin"	blue subgiant	2.37
13	Fekda	"Bear's Thigh"	blue subgiant	2.44
14	Psi Ursa Major	Not	orange giant	3.01
15	Iota Ursa Major	"Third Northern"	Blue subdwarf	3.14
16	Theta Ursa Major	Not	Double star system	3.17
17	Megrets	"The base of the tail"	blue subgiant	3.31
18	Omicron Ursa Major	"Bear face"	double star	3.35
19	Lambda Ursa Major	"Second North"	Blue subdwarf	3.45
20	Nude Ursa Major	"First Northern"	orange giant	3.48
21	Mu Ursa Major	"Second South"	blue subgiant	3.57
22	Kappa Ursa Major	Not	Double star system	3.60
23	X Ursa Major	Not	orange giant	3.69
24	Upsilon Ursa Major	Not	Double star system	3.78
25	Xi Ursa Major	"First South"	Double star system	3.79
26	Alcor	"Forgotten"	blue subgiant	4.01

How to find constellation Ursa Major in the northern sky: a map of the starry sky, a description with a photo and a diagram, myth, facts, Messier objects, main stars, the Big Dipper.

Ursa Major - constellation, which is located in the northern sky and from Latin "Ursa Major" is translated as "big bear".

Ursa Major in the sky is the largest northern constellation and the third in the general list. Bright stars create an asterism recognizable by all - the Big Dipper, a photo of which can be found on the site. He was known in many cultures, so many myths were created. In the second century, Ptolemy cataloged it.

Myth, facts, position and map of the constellation Ursa Major

Ursa Major is not only a large, but also a very ancient constellation, which was mentioned by Homer in the Bible. There are so many stories and fairy tales around the world. The ancient Greeks believed that we are talking about Callisto - a beautiful nymph who took a vow of celibacy in the temple of Artemis. But Zeus fell in love with her, seduced her and her son Arkas appeared.

When Artemis found out about this, she drove Callisto away. But then the angry Hera (wife of Zeus) came into play. She was so offended by the betrayal that she turned the nymph into a bear. In this guise, the girl spent 15 years living in the forest and hiding from hunters. But Arkas grew up and one day they collided. Arkas was frightened and pulled out a spear, but Zeus managed in time and sent both of them into the sky with a whirlwind. Of course, this angered Hera even more. She asked the Ocean and Tethys not to let the bear swim in the northern waters. That is why Ursa Major never sets beyond the horizon in northern latitudes.

According to another story, the punishment came from Artemis. Many years later, Callisto and Arkas are captured together and travel to King Lycaon as a gift. But they escape and hide in the temple of Zeus. God saves them and sends them to heaven.

There is also a completely different myth about Adastreya. She was a nymph who took care of Zeus as an infant. His father Cronus obeyed the oracle's prediction (the child will overthrow the father) and killed all his children. But Rhea (mother) slipped a stone instead of Zeus and saved the baby. Adastraya, along with Ida, fed and looked after him, and in gratitude he sent them to heaven.

The Romans called the constellation Ursa Major "Septentrio" - "seven plows of oxen", although only two of them displayed bulls, and the rest - a cart. In the Big Dipper, they saw different animals: a camel, a shark, a skunk, as well as objects: a sickle, a cart, a canoe. The Chinese name the 7 stars Qiyh Sing after the government. The Hindus had 7 wise men, and the constellation is called Saptarshi.

In some Indian tales, Ursa Major depicted a large bear, and the stars were warriors who declared a hunt for him. It drops low in autumn, so it is believed that the leaves turn red due to blood dripping from the wounds of the animal.

In late American history, the constellation represented railway along which the slaves found their way north. There are many songs that the liberated sang in the south, dreaming of a new life.

Facts, position and map of the constellation Ursa Major

With an area of ​​​​1280 square degrees, the constellation Ursa Major is in third place in terms of size. Covers the second quadrant in the northern hemisphere (NQ2). Can be found in latitudes from +90° to -30°. Adjacent to , and .

Big Dipper
Lat. title	Ursa Major
Reduction	Uma
Symbol	Big Dipper
right ascension	from 7 h 58 m to 14 h 25 m
declination	from +29° to +73° 30’
Area	1280 sq. degrees (3rd place)
brightest stars (value< 3 m )	Aliot (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 Small Lion Veronica's hair Hounds Dogs Bootes
The constellation is visible at latitudes from +90° to -16°. The best time for observation is March.

The main stars of the constellation Ursa Major

You could see in the photo what the constellation Ursa Major looks like in the sky, but let's study its stars and the famous asterism.

Asterism - Big Dipper

The Big Dipper is one of the most recognizable asterisms in the night sky and has been featured in many cultures. In addition, it is also useful in navigation, because it indicates the path to the North Star, which is part of the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor).

If you follow an imaginary line from Merak to Dubhe and continue the arc, you will reach the Pole Star.

In the same way, an imaginary line leads to the bright star Arcturus (Boötes) and Spica (Virgo).

Ursa Major consists of 7 stars: Dubhe (Alpha), Merak (Beta), Fekda (Gamma), Megrets (Delta), Aliot (Epsilon), Mizar (Zeta) and Alkaid (Eta).

Aliot(Epsilon Ursa Major) is the brightest star in the constellation (A0pCr) with an apparent visual magnitude of 1.76 and a distance of 81 light years. It stands at the 31st position in brightness among all stars. The spectrum resembles a Canis Alpha-2 type variable with fluctuations in spectral lines of 5.1 days.

Included in the Ursa Major Moving Group of Stars (general speed and origin). In 1869, the group was found by the English astronomer Richard A. Proctor, who guessed that all the stars of the constellation, except for Alkaid and Dubhe, share a common regular movement, heading towards a point in the constellation Sagittarius.

traditional name comes from the Arabic word alyat - "fat tail of a sheep" (the star is in a bear's tail).

Dubhe(Alpha Ursa Major) - spectroscopic double star(K1 II-III) with an apparent magnitude of 1.79 and a distance of 123 light years. Satellite is a star main sequence(F0 V) with an orbital period of 44.4 years at a distance of 23 AU.

At 900,000 a.u. from the main pair is located binary system, which makes the star a four-star system.

The name comes from the Arabic dubb - "bear". Not included in the Ursa Major Moving Group of Stars.

Merak(Beta Ursa Major) is a main sequence star (A1 V) with a visual magnitude of 2.37 and a distance of 79.7 light years. There is a dusty disk that occupies 27% of the earth's mass.

The star is 2.7 times more massive than the Sun, 2.84 times larger in radius, and 68 times brighter. It is a member of the Ursa Major Moving Group of Stars and is a suspected variable star.

The name is translated from Arabic as "loins".

Alkaid(Eta Ursa Major) is a young main sequence star (B3 V) with an apparent visual magnitude of 1.85 and a distance of 101 light years. It ranks third in brightness in the constellation and 35th among all stars. It is the easternmost star in the asterism. At a surface temperature of 20,000 K, it can be seen with the naked eye. Reaches 6 solar masses and is 700 times brighter. Does not belong to the Ursa Major Moving Group of Stars.

Despite its position in brightness, Bayer named it "Eta" because he named the stars from west to east. The name is taken from the Arabic phrase qā "id bināt na" sh, which means "leader of the daughters of the pier."

Fekda(Gamma Ursa Major) is a main sequence star (A0 Ve) with a visual magnitude of 2.438 and a distance of 83.2 light years. It has a gas envelope that adds emission lines to its spectrum. Age - 300 million years. It is the lower left star in the Dipper and is 8.5 light-years distant from the Mizar-Alcor system. Refers to the Moving Group of Ursa Major.

The traditional name comes from the Arabic phrase fakhð ad-dubb, "bear's thigh".

Megrets(Delta Ursa Major) is a main sequence star (A3 V) with a visual magnitude of 3.312 and a distance of 58.4 light years. 63% more solar mass and 14 times brighter. There is an excess of infrared radiation, indicating disk debris in orbit.

Of the 7 bright stars, this is the weakest. "Megrets" is translated from Arabic as "foundation" (the basis of the bear's tail).

Mizar(Zeta Ursa Major) - a system of two double stars, located in second place from the end. The apparent magnitude is 2.23, and the distance is 82.8 light years. Became the first photographed double star. It happened in 1857 thanks to the American photographer and inventor John A. Whipple and the astronomer George P. Bond. They used a wet collodion plate and a 15-inch refractor telescope at the Harvard College Observatory. Bond also photographed the star Vega (Lyra) in 1850.

The name comes from the Arabic mīzar - "belt".

Alcor(80 Ursa Major) - visual companion for Mizar (A5V) Both stars are sometimes referred to as "Horse and Rider". The visual magnitude is 3.99, and the distance is 81.7 light years. She is also called Suha ("forgotten") and Arundhati in India. In 2009, they found a binary system.

Belongs to the Moving group of stars Ursa Major. The distance between it and Mizar is 1.1 light years.

W Ursa Major is a binary system represented by nearby stars with an orbital period of 0.3336 days. They are so close that their outer shells are in direct contact. Periodically, they outshine each other, and reduce the brightness. The apparent magnitude of the system fluctuates between 7.75 and 8.48. Spectral class - F8V.

This is the prototype for both the W variables of Ursa Major.

Messier 40(M40, Winnecke 4, WNC 4) is a binary star with fluctuations in apparent visual magnitude from 9.55 to 10.10. Located 510 light years away. It was registered in 1764 by Charles Messier, who was looking for a nebula previously reported by Jan Hevelius. In 1863, the star was discovered by Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke.

47 Ursa Major- a main sequence star (G1V) with an apparent magnitude of 5.03 and a distance of 45.9 light years. It is a solar analogue with a similar mass, slightly hotter and reaches 110% iron.

In 1996, a planet 2.53 times the size of Jupiter was found. Two more planets were discovered in 2002 and 2010.

Nu and Xi Ursa Major - "first jump"

Alula Northern (Nu Ursa Major) is a double star visible to the naked eye. The apparent magnitude is 3.490, and the distance is 399 light years. This is a giant (K3 III), whose radius is 57 times greater than the sun and 775 times brighter. The name "Alula Borealis" comes from the Arabic word al-Ūlā - meaning "first (jump)", and the Latin "Borealis" - northern.

Alula South (Xi Ursa Major) is a star system discovered in 1780 by William Herschel. It is represented by main sequence dwarfs (G0 Ve) with a combined magnitude of 3.79 (4.32 and 4.84), and a distance of 29 light years.

This is a variable star RS Canis Venichi (near binary stars with large spots created by the active chromosphere). Spots cause the brightness to change by 0.2 magnitudes.

Each of the two objects of the Xi system acts as a spectroscopic twin and is accompanied by a low-mass companion. In 1828, Xi became the first binary star whose orbit could be calculated.

Nu and Xi are the first of three star pairs, which the ancient Arabs called "gazelle jumps".

Taniya North (Lambda) and Taniya South (Mu) - "second jump"

Lambda Ursa Major is a star (A2 IV - losing mass and turning into a giant) with an apparent magnitude of 3.45 and a distance of 138 light years.

Mu Ursa Major is a red giant (M0) located 230 light years away. The visual magnitude is 3.06. It is a semi-regular variable star whose brightness ranges from 2.99 to 3.33. Accompanied by a visual companion 1.5 AU distant.

Talita North (Iota) and Talita South (Kappa) - "the third jump"

Iota Ursa Major is a star system represented by two double stars: white subgiant (A7 IV), which is a spectroscopic binary object, and stars of 9th and 10th magnitude. When the B component was noticed in 1841, the two binary stars were separated by 10.7 arc seconds. Now this distance is 4.5 arc seconds. The orbital period is 818 years. The system is 47.3 light years distant from us.

Kappa Ursa Major is a double star represented by two A-type main sequence dwarfs with visual magnitudes of 4.2 and 4.4. The apparent magnitude of the system is 3.60, and the distance is 358 light years.

Muscida(Omicron Ursa Major) is a multiple star system (G4 II-III - between a giant and a bright giant) with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.35 and a distance of 179 light years. The traditional name means "snout".

Groombridge 1830- subdwarf (G8V), located at 29.7 light years. In the early 19th century, it was found and recorded by the British astronomer Stephen Groombridge (published in 1838).

At the time of discovery, it was the star with the highest proper motion. Went to third after discovering Kapteyn's Star and Barnard's Star.

It is a halo star moving in the opposite direction of the galaxy's rotation. Usually such specimens are poor in metal, because they were formed in more early age galaxies. Most halo stars are located above or below the galactic plane. Age - 10 billion years. They have highly eccentric orbits and high space velocity.

Lalande 21185- a red dwarf (M2V) with an apparent magnitude of 7.520 (cannot be found without technology) and a distance of 8.11 light years. This is the fourth closest star system to ours after Alpha Centauri, Barnard's Star and Wolf 359. In 19900 years, it will approach the Sun at 4.65 light years.

This is the BY Dragon variable and is a known X-ray source.

Psi Ursa Major- an orange giant (K1 III) with a visual magnitude of 3.01 and a distance of 144.5 light years. The Chinese call him Tian Zang or Ta Zun - "extremely honorable."

Celestial objects of the constellation Ursa Major

Bode Galaxy(M81, NGC 3031) - bright, large spiral galaxy, 11.8 light years away. Apparent magnitude - 6.94 (very popular among beginners and amateur astronomers).

The apparent size is 26.9 x 14.1 arc minutes. In March 1993, a supernova was observed - SN 1993J.

It was discovered by German astronomer Johann Bode in 1774. In 1779, Charles Messier re-identified her and added her to the catalog.

It is the largest galaxy in the M81 group (34 galaxies), located 10 degrees northwest of the star Dubhe (Alpha Ursa Major).

It interacts with the neighboring galaxies Messier 82 and with the smaller NGC 3077. Because of this, all lost hydrogen gas and formed gaseous filamentary structures. In addition, star formation has been activated, caused by interstellar gas entering the centers of Messier 82 and NGC 3077.

Galaxy Cigar(M82, NGC 3034) is an edge galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 8.41 and a distance of 11.5 million light years.

Star formation in the galactic core is 10 times faster than star formation in the entire Milky Way. M82 is also 5 times brighter. In 2005, Hubble found 197 massive star clusters in the central region.

M82 displays an infrared excess and is the brightest galaxy in the sky when viewed in infrared light.

It is believed to have experienced at least one tidal collision with Messier 81 in the past. Because of this, over the past 200 million years, a huge amount of gas has entered its core and increased star formation by 10 times.

Owl Nebula(M97, NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula with an apparent magnitude of 9.9 and a distance of 2600 light years. In the center is a star of the 16th magnitude.

In 1781, the nebula was discovered by Pierre Méchain. Age - 8000 years. It got its name because it looks like an owl's eye when viewed through a telescope.

pinwheel(M101, NGC 5457) is a grand design spiral galaxy observed by the face. The apparent magnitude is 7.86, and the distance is 20.9 million light years. In August 2011, they found a type Ia supernova (an explosion of a white dwarf star) - SN 2011fe.

Pierre Méchain discovered the galaxy in 1781 and was later added to the catalog by Charles Messier. Méchain described it as "a nebula without a star, very obscure and rather large - from 6" to 7" in diameter".

Covers 170,000 light years in diameter (70% more Milky Way). Hosts a number of large, bright H II regions and hot newborn stars.

There are 5 companion galaxies: NGC 5474, NGC 5204, NGC 5477, NGC 5585 and Holmberg IV. Most likely, the grand design was created due to contact with them.

(M108, NGC 3556) is a barred spiral galaxy discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. We see almost the edge. It has a visual magnitude of 10.7 and a distance of 45,000 light years.

It is an isolated member of the Ursa Major Cluster (within the Virgo Supercluster). M108 contains approximately 290 globular clusters and 83 X-ray sources.

In 1969, a type 2 supernova, 1969B, was observed.

(M109, NGC 3992) is a barred spiral galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 10.6 and a distance of 83.5 million light-years. It is located southeast of Gamma Ursa Major. In 1781, Pierre Mechain found it, and after 2 years Charles Messier added it to the catalog.

In 1956, a type Ia supernova, SN 1956A, was discovered. There are also 3 satellite galaxies: UGC 6923, UGC 6940 and UGC 6969.

This brightest galaxy in the M109 group (contains more than 50 galaxies).

NGC 5474 is a dwarf galaxy located near M101, with which it interacts. Shows signs spiral structure. The visual magnitude is 11.3, and the distance is 22 million light years.

Due to tidal interactions with M101, the disk shifts away from the core and activates star birth. You can study the constellation Ursa Major more closely if you use our 3D models and online telescope. For independent search, a static or moving map of the starry sky is suitable.

The most conspicuous and well-known constellation to all, without exception, is, of course, Ursa Major. More precisely, it is not she herself that is clearly visible in the night sky, but part of her - the Big Dipper. If you look closely, then below and to the right of it you can see a few more stars that make up the paws and head of the Bear. The shape of this constellation is really very fascinating. After all, no one has ever seen bears with such long tails.

The number of bright stars in the Big Dipper bucket is clear to everyone. There are exactly seven of them. The name of these stars was given by Arab astrologers in the Middle Ages.

To our ears, their "names" sound really strange:

• Merak.
• Mizar.
• Fegda.
• Megrets.
• Dubge.
• Aliot.
• Benetnash.

From the earth, these stars appear equidistant. In fact, this is far from the case. The number of bright stars in the Ursa Major bucket is seven, and they are all not at equal distances from the Earth and the Sun.

Closest to our planet is Benetnash. The farthest star, Alioth, is sixty light-years away. However, it looks brighter than Benetnash. This is the brightest and most brilliant object of the Bucket. According to the apparent intensity of the emitted light, all the stars of this part of the Big Dipper are close to the stars of the 2nd magnitude.

Noteworthy Facts

If you look very closely at one of the stars of the Bucket - Mizara, you can see a faint flicker right next to it. This is explained very simply. Mizar is not an ordinary star, but a double one.

The facility located right next to it is called Alcor. From Arabic, these two words are translated as "Horse" and "Rider". Alcor and Mizar are one of the most visible double stars from Earth.

The number of bright stars in the Big Dipper bucket is seven. However, if you look at it through binoculars or a telescope, you can see two more small strokes of light. Unlike stars, they look fuzzy and blurry. This is how distant galaxies look from Earth. Located inside the Ursa are called Whirlpool and Pinwheel.

Rotation of the Huge Bucket

The fact that our Earth does not stand still is clear to any schoolchild. Due to its movement, it seems that the stars in the sky are spinning. The Bucket is no exception in this regard. In winter and autumn, Ursa Major is located in the northern part of the night sky, not too high from the horizon. In spring and summer, this most conspicuous constellation can be seen almost at its zenith. And at this time of the year, Ursa Major looks upside down.

celestial compass

So, the number of bright stars in the Big Dipper bucket is exactly seven. Two of them can serve as a guide for those who are on the road. The fact is that it is easy to detect the most famous star in the world - the Polaris. It's easy to do. It is only necessary to draw an imaginary line along the two outer stars of the Ladle bowl. Further on it should measure approximately the distance between them. The North Star itself is located almost above the northernmost pole.

In ancient times, when there were no navigational instruments yet, it served as a guide for all sailors and travelers. So, if you suddenly find yourself in a difficult situation in an unfamiliar area, look at the constellation Ursa Major. The polar star found on it will show you the way to the north. This small and not too bright celestial object has more than once rescued those who got lost in the taiga, in the desert or in the sea. The North Star leads the nearest neighbor of Ursa Major - Ursa Minor. The area of ​​​​location of both these "animals" is considered circumpolar according to the systematization of astrologers.

How many stars are in the Big Dipper

Of course, in this constellation itself there are even more stars than in its most conspicuous part - the Bucket. At the moment, there are about 125 of them. These are over a hundred bright objects, against which the Sun would look like a small and dim luminous dot. The closest star to Earth, unfortunately, is not even visible to the naked eye. She also does not have a name. According to astronomical systematization, it passes as a star of 7.5 m. The light from it to the Earth takes about 8.25 years. This is almost twice as much as from the closest star to us - Alpha Centauri. Thus, the answer to the question of how many stars are in Ursa Major is simple - more than a hundred and not all of them are visible without a telescope or binoculars. To see a feral animal with a long tail in the Bucket, in fact, you need to have a fairly rich imagination.

Legend of the Big Dipper

Of course, about such conspicuous objects of the night sky as the stars of the constellation Ursa Major, there simply cannot but exist many different kinds of myths and legends. The most popular legend about her was invented by the Greeks. The chroniclers of this old country say that once the king of Arcadia had an unusually beautiful daughter, Callisto. And this woman was so proud of her attractiveness that she dared to compete with Hera herself, the wife of Zeus. The enraged goddess, using her mystical power, of course, took revenge on the proud woman, turning her into a bear. The son of Callisto Arcas, who was returning from hunting at that time, saw a feral animal at the door of the palace and decided to kill him. However, at the last moment he was stopped by Zeus, who was not indifferent to the beauty. After the rescue, Callisto was raised to heaven. The stars of the Ursa Major bucket are what it is. At the same time, the supreme god raised the beauty’s beloved dog to heaven. Now it is known under the name Ursa Minor.

nearest constellations

The stars in the constellation Ursa Major, or rather in its Bucket, are the most noticeable in the night sky. However, in addition to Ursa Minor, there are several more recognizable constellations in this area. The reference point for finding one of them can be the same Polar Star. Behind her, on the opposite side from the Big Dipper, at approximately the same distance, Cassiopeia, familiar to many by name, flaunts. From the outside, this constellation looks like the Russian letter "M". At some positions of the Earth, Cassiopeia "turns over" and takes the form of a Latin W.

Between it and Ursa Minor, you can see the not so noticeable, but also the notorious constellation Cepheus. It does not have a clearly visible form. Between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, it is also easy to see the wriggling Dragon. The chain of its stars is easily connected on the map by a broken line.

Well, we hope we answered main question articles about how many luminous permanent objects there are in Ursa Major. There are only seven of them in the Bucket. The main constellation contains about 125 distant "suns".

Big Dipper- constellation of the northern hemisphere of the sky. The seven stars of Ursa Major make up a figure resembling a ladle with a handle. The two brightest stars, Aliot and Dubhe, have magnitudes of 1.8 apparent magnitudes. According to the two extreme stars of this figure (α and β), you can find the Polar Star. The best visibility conditions are in March-April. It can be seen throughout Russia all year round (with the exception of the autumn months in southern Russia, when the Big Dipper descends low to the horizon).

There are about 125 stars in the constellation, but only seven are called the largest and brightest: Dubhe, Merak, Fekda, Megrets, Aliot, Mizar and Alkaid. Between themselves, they form a bucket, which 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 is quite popular. But one story has gained the greatest popularity among the Eskimos, about which absolutely everyone tells. It has even been suggested that this legend is not fiction, but the purest truth. In a snowy house, on the very edge of Greenland, lived the great hunter Eriulok. He lived in a hut alone, as he was arrogant, considering himself the best in his field. Therefore, he did not want to communicate with his other compatriots. For many years in a row he went to sea and always returned with rich booty. In his house there was always a lot of food, seal fat, and the walls of his dwelling were decorated with the best skins of walruses, seals and seals.

Eriulok was rich, well-fed, but lonely. And loneliness eventually began to burden the great hunter. He tried to make friends with his fellow Eskimos, but they did not want to deal with an arrogant relative. Apparently, he offended them greatly at the 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 magical berries that would restore youth to the goddess. The hunter agreed and went to a distant island, 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 magical berries.

After all the adventures, Eriulok got 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, rejuvenated by a couple of hundred centuries, and joyfully threw an empty ladle into the sky, where he, clinging to something, remained hanging.

Stars and asterisms

Ursa Major is the third largest constellation (after Hydra and Virgo), whose seven bright stars form the famous Big Bucket; this asterism has been known since antiquity among many peoples under different names: Rocker, Plow, Elk, Wagon, Seven Wise Men, 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) - "the 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 bucket handle is called Benetnash or Alkaid(η); in Arabic, "al-Qaeed our banat" means "the leader of the mourners." This poetic image taken from the Arab folk understanding of the constellation Ursa Major.

In the system of naming stars with 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 Wailers. Here, asterism is thought of as a funeral procession: in front of the mourners, led by a leader, behind them are a funeral stretcher. This explains the name of the star η Ursa Major "the leader of the mourners."

Bucket inner stars

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

Stars Merak and Dubhe

They form the wall of the Bucket, are called pointers, 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 - the 3rd.

Alcor

Near Mizar, which was the second among the double stars discovered in the telescope (Giovanni Riccioli in 1650; according to the data of the early 2000s, it was probably observed as a double as early as 1617 by Galileo). A keen eye sees a star of magnitude 4 Alcor (80 Ursa Major), which in Arabic means “forgotten”, or “insignificant”. It is believed that the ability to distinguish the star Alcor 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

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

• Alula North and Alula South (v 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 north of the celestial equator, and 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 constellation Virgo.

Lalande 21185

The red dwarf, located in the Alula Severnaya region and inaccessible to observations with the naked eye, is one of the closest star systems to the Earth, only Alpha Centauri, Barnard's star and Wolf 359 are closer to it. The Groombridge 1830 star, which, according to own movement second only to Barnard's star and Kapteyn's star, in a hundred years it shifts by about a third of the lunar disk.

Constellation legends. Star of Dubhe

There are a huge number of legends and tales about the cluster of luminaries Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The following belief goes about the brightest star Dubhe from the constellation Ursa Major. The daughter of King Lycaon, the beautiful Callisto was one of the huntresses of the goddess Artemis. The almighty Zeus fell in love with Callisto, and she gave birth to the boy Arkas. For this, the jealous wife of Zeus, Hera, turned Callisto into a bear. When Arkas grew up and became a hunter, he attacked 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 ruler of heaven placed them in the sky 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 - for 2011 it is not included in the top ten constellations in this indicator.

• The Hubble Ultra Deep Field was imaged in a region one-twelfth the size of the lunar disk near the star Megrets. For 2011, this is one of the most detailed images starry sky, which makes it possible to distinguish many galaxies that are billions of light years away from the Earth.
• Scars in the shape of the constellation Ursa Major on the chest are worn by the character of the popular in many countries anime and manga Hokuto No Ken, Kenshiro. At the moment, only the independent three-episode novella "Fist of the North Star: A 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 well-known work he wrote: “The most important constellation of our northern hemisphere - Ursa Major - in the Russian North was called “Elk”, “Prongs” ... The Poles call the North Star the “Elk Star” (Gwiazda Łosiowa). Among the Evenks, the constellation Ursa Major (Ursus Major) is called "Moose Heglen".
• In the animated series "Gravity Falls" on the forehead of the main character Dipper Pines there is a birthmark in the form of this constellation. Because of him, he got the nickname Dipper ( dipper from English - ladle, and the constellation Ursa Major is sometimes called the Big Dipper).

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Ursa Major is a constellation with which schoolchildren get acquainted in the 2nd grade, taking the course "The world around us".

It is important for children to learn how to find the star "bucket" in the night sky, because the constellation is a guide for searching for many other celestial objects.

Description of the constellation Ursa Major

Ursa Major (Ursa Major) is the 3rd largest constellation in the northern hemisphere. The common name for the celestial object is the Big Dipper, since the seven main stars form a figure that looks like a bucket with a long handle.

On the territory of Eastern Europe and all of Russia, the object is observed throughout the year(exception - autumn in southern regions Russia when the constellation is too low above the horizon). The best visibility is in early spring.

Ursa Major 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 writings of Ptolemy.

The ancient peoples associated the star figure with a camel, a plow, a boat, a sickle, a basket. In Germany, the constellation is called the Great Basket, in China - the Imperial Chariot, in the Netherlands - the Pot, in the Arab countries - the Grave of the Mourners.

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

In the representation of the American Indians, the three stars that form the "dipper handle" are three hunters chasing a bear. Alpha and beta constellations are also called "pointers", because with the help of these stars it is easy to find the North Star.

Big Dipper bucket in autumn, winter, spring, summer

At different times of the year, the position of the "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. During the summer, the constellation gradually moves to the northwest, descends. In the last days of August, the 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 you can see in the diagram below, moving to the northeast, it again rises as high as possible above the horizon by spring.

To quickly find the constellation, you should remember that in summer it is located 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 stellar 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 "ladle" is in the northeast (in the picture on the right), and its "handle" is directed downwards.

During the night, the constellation passes a semicircle, in the morning it reaches the northwest (in the picture on the left), and the "handle" rushes up.

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

The position of the constellation in the sky is characterized by a daily change, specific for each season of the year.

Stars of Ursa Major

Answering the question, how many stars are in the Big Dipper, indicate the 7 most noticeable points. This seven forms the same “bucket”, which is clearly visible in the night sky.

But in reality, the constellation is larger, consists of more points. Stars of lesser brightness form the legs and muzzle of the bear.

The seven main stars that make up the constellation include:

1. Dubhe("bear") - the alpha of the constellation, the second most intense glow. One of two signposts to the North Pole. A red giant that is 125 light years away from Earth.
2. Merak(translated as "loin") - a beta star, the second pointer to the North Pole. The object is about 80 light-years distant from the Earth, slightly larger than the Sun, and emits a powerful stream of infrared radiation.
3. Fekda("thigh") - 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 is so named because it is the base of the long tail of the "heavenly beast".
5. Aliot("tail") - epsilon, the brightest point of the constellation, is in 31st place in terms of the luminosity of objects visible in the sky (magnitude 1.8). White Star, the luminosity is 108 times higher than that of the Sun. One of 57 celestial objects used in navigation.
6. Mizar(from Arabic "belt") - a zeta star, the fourth brightest in the "bucket". The star is double, there is a less bright companion - Alcor.
7. Alkaid("leader") or Benetnash ("crying") - this star, 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 (nude constellation) and Alula Australis (xi);
• Thania Borealis (lambda) and Thania Australis (mu);
• Talita Borealis (iota) and Talita Australis (kappa).

These three pairs are also known as the three gazelle jumps and are located at the bottom of the star cluster on the map below.

The figure shows the location of the main seven stars and objects of the Talita, Thania and Alula groups.

Legend of the Big Dipper

Exists ancient greek myth, by which you can understand why the constellation Ursa Major is so called.

Callisto, heiress 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 got angry when she noticed in the bath that her beloved nymph was pregnant and drove her away. The unfortunate Callisto went to the mountains, where she gave birth to her son Arkas.

But the misadventures of the nymph did not stop there. Hera, the wife of the seductive god, learned about Arkas - illegitimate son Zeus, in retaliation, turned her rival into a bear. As an adult, Arkas took up hunting. Once in the mountains, he ran into a bear, but he could not even think that his own mother was in front of him. 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 given by the Hero curse. Taking pity on the unfortunate Callisto, Zeus turned her and his son into stars and sent them to heaven. So the Big Dipper appeared in the sky, and next to it was the son - the Little Dipper.

How to find the Big Dipper in the sky

In the temperate zone of Russia, the "bear" refers to non-setting constellations, as it is located near North Pole. Finding a "bucket" in the sky in the evening and at night is not difficult. It is enough to see a star cluster once to remember what it looks like.

Below in the photo you can see what a "bucket" might look like in the night sky.

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

If it’s not April outside the window, then you should look for the “bear” 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 "ladle" is tilted down by 60 - 80 °;
• June-July - northwest, elevation above the horizon 40 - 70 °, tilt of the figure down 20 - 60 °;
• August-September - northwest (closer to the north), 20 - 50 °, the figure is parallel to the horizon;
• October - north, angle 20 - 30 °, the "ladle" is tilted upwards by 10 - 30 °;
• November-December - northeast (closer to the north), 20 - 40 °, the figure is tilted upwards by 30 - 80 °.

After getting acquainted with the Big Dipper, the possibilities of studying the starry sky are significantly expanded. The North Star is the first thing that can be found, knowing the location of the large "bucket". And the Polar (alpha star Ursa Minor) is the main celestial landmark in the cardinal points.