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 48270HIP 48271HIP 42832HIP 48275HIP 48283HIP 48285HIP 42870HIP 51107HIP 51108HIP 51110HIP 51113HIP 48304HIP 42906HIP 51124HIP 51128HIP 42963HIP 51137HIP 48314HIP 48317HIP 70211HIP 70223HIP 67936HIP 70267HIP 51153HIP 42986HIP 51160HIP 51163HIP 48343HIP 51181HIP 51182HIP 67966HIP 51197HIP 43094HIP 43096HIP 43101HIP 51200HIP 51207HIP 48391HIP 48393HIP 48397HIP 48401HIP 43185HIP 51220HIP 51222HIP 51223HIP 51224HIP 48408HIP 43194

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.