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 50716HIP 50766HIP 50771HIP 50752HIP 50760HIP 50762HIP 50776HIP 50778HIP 50783HIP 50786HIP 62214HIP 52546HIP 52556HIP 52539HIP 52544HIP 52568HIP 52571HIP 52582HIP 52587HIP 55990HIP 52594HIP 52597HIP 52599HIP 52602HIP 52639HIP 52644HIP 52650HIP 52647HIP 62220HIP 52659HIP 52755HIP 52760HIP 52796HIP 52951HIP 53042HIP 53076HIP 53081HIP 53086HIP 53254HIP 53256HIP 53257HIP 53258HIP 53263HIP 53266HIP 53376HIP 53377HIP 53382HIP 53384

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.