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 61837HIP 61839HIP 61841HIP 64376HIP 64389HIP 61886HIP 61946HIP 61972HIP 64500HIP 64523HIP 64532HIP 64600HIP 64604HIP 64605HIP 64608HIP 64609HIP 62121HIP 62126HIP 64671HIP 62175HIP 62202HIP 62244HIP 62259HIP 64740HIP 62266HIP 64812HIP 64816HIP 64842HIP 62335HIP 62361HIP 64862HIP 64866HIP 62402HIP 62405HIP 62502HIP 62512HIP 62527HIP 62552HIP 65052HIP 65057HIP 65062HIP 65095HIP 65110HIP 62631HIP 62635HIP 65131HIP 62667HIP 65165

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.