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 54726HIP 54729HIP 54702HIP 54734HIP 54745HIP 54747HIP 54748HIP 54756HIP 54762HIP 54768HIP 54797HIP 54801HIP 54868HIP 54869HIP 54873HIP 54882HIP 54907HIP 54908HIP 54915HIP 54962HIP 54964HIP 54972HIP 54979HIP 54981HIP 54990HIP 54995HIP 54996HIP 54997HIP 55004HIP 55005HIP 55006HIP 55007HIP 55009HIP 54992HIP 55050HIP 55054HIP 55055HIP 55059HIP 55060HIP 55073HIP 55076HIP 55111HIP 55115HIP 55134HIP 55135HIP 55141HIP 55214HIP 55215

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.