Ursa Major

Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is the third-largest constellation by area and home to the Big Dipper asterism, one of the most widely recognized star patterns. Its seven brightest stars form a dipper or plough shape that has served as a navigation aid throughout human history. Five of its stars share a common motion through space, forming the Ursa Major Moving Group.

The Ursa Major family is the largest constellation family, containing constellations that share their region of sky with the Great Bear. Defined by astronomer Donald Menzel in 1964, this grouping includes many of the most recognizable patterns in the northern sky. The family's namesake, Ursa Major, is the third-largest constellation by area and home to the famous Big Dipper asterism, one of the most universally recognized star patterns in human history.

Mythology & History

In Greek mythology, Ursa Major represents Callisto, a nymph transformed into a bear by the jealous goddess Hera. Her son Arcas, placed nearby as Ursa Minor, was set in the sky by Zeus to prevent him from unknowingly hunting his mother. Nearly every ancient culture had stories for this prominent circumpolar group — the Chinese saw it as the celestial bureaucracy, the Norse as a wagon (Odin's Wain), and many Native American traditions identified the bowl of the Big Dipper as a bear with the handle stars as hunters pursuing it through the seasons.

Observation Tips

Ursa Major family constellations are best observed from northern latitudes where many are circumpolar (never setting below the horizon). The Big Dipper's pointer stars (Dubhe and Merak) famously guide observers to Polaris in Ursa Minor. These constellations contain numerous deep sky targets including the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), the Owl Nebula (M97), and the striking pair of galaxies M81 and M82 in Ursa Major itself.

HIP 51066HIP 42713HIP 48229HIP 48239HIP 48242HIP 48243HIP 42761HIP 51079HIP 42777HIP 42778HIP 42779HIP 42780HIP 42781HIP 67429HIP 67485HIP 67491HIP 67528HIP 67532HIP 69859HIP 69912HIP 67573HIP 67576HIP 69927HIP 67590HIP 67595HIP 67603HIP 69942HIP 67628HIP 69979HIP 70007HIP 67671HIP 67672HIP 67683HIP 67686HIP 67691HIP 67697HIP 67701HIP 67732HIP 70105HIP 67799HIP 67814HIP 67818HIP 67832HIP 51091HIP 51096HIP 51097HIP 48257HIP 48258

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ursa Major constellation?
Ursa Major (UMa) is one of the 88 IAU-recognized constellations in the Northern hemisphere. Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is the third-largest constellation by area and home to the Big Dipper asterism, one of the most widely recognized star patterns. Its seven brightest stars form a dipper or
How many stars are cataloged in Ursa Major?
StarFYI currently catalogs 3,615 stars in the constellation Ursa Major.
What is the brightest star in Ursa Major?
The brightest star in Ursa Major is Alioth.
How large is the Ursa Major constellation?
Ursa Major covers 1279.66 square degrees of the sky.
What family does Ursa Major belong to?
Ursa Major belongs to the Ursa Major Family of constellations.