The Bear in the Stars

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In history, wanderers in the northern hemisphere used Polaris (located in Ursa Minor) to stay on course. The Big Dipper helped in locating the Polaris star (the North Star). Alcor is a visual companion to Mizar. It belongs to the spectral class A5V. The two stars are sometimes known as the “Horse and Rider.” Thomas, Morton (13 September 1883). The new English Canaan of Thomas Morton. Published by the Prince Society. OL 7142058M. The seven stars that form the Big Dipper are Dubhe (Alpha Ursae Majoris), Merak (Beta UMa), Phecda (Gamma UMa), Megrez (Delta UMa), Alioth (Epsilon UMa), Mizar (Zeta UMa), and Alkaid (Eta UMa). Alioth – ε Ursae Majoris (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)

Look for seven major stars:four in the “bowl” and three in the “handle.”The two stars on the outside of the bowl are called the “pointer” stars. They point to Polaris, a bright star that is also called the North Star because with it you can figure out which way isnorth. To findnorth:In spite of being the third brightest star in Ursa Major, Alkaid was designated Eta Ursae Majoris because Johannes Bayer named the stars of the Big Dipper from west to east, designating the Pointer Stars Alpha and Beta. Phecda – γ Ursae Majoris (Gamma Ursae Majoris)

In South Korea, the constellation is referred to as "the seven stars of the north". In the related myth, a widow with seven sons found comfort with a widower, but to get to his house required crossing a stream. The seven sons, sympathetic to their mother, placed stepping stones in the river. Their mother, not knowing who put the stones in place, blessed them and, when they died, they became the constellation. There is another binary system about 90,000 AU away from the main pair, which makes Alpha Ursae Majoris a four star system. Merak – β Ursae Majoris (Beta Ursae Majoris) In episode 3, the executive chef and co-owner of Elske, a creative Chicago spot focused on American cuisine with Danish influences, shares some real talk with Sydney about bad business partners being the downfall of his and his wife, executive pastry chef Anna Posey’s previous restaurant. Mitra Jouhari The name is Latin meaning greater she-bear. Ursa Major is known as the greater (or larger) bear when compared to nearby Ursa Minor, also known as the lesser bear. The Alpha Ursae Majorids are a minor meteor shower in the constellation. [23] They may be caused by the comet C/1992 W1 (Ohshita). [23] [24]When it was discovered, Groombridge 1830 was the star with the highest proper motion of any star known. It dropped to third place with the discovery of Kapteyn’s Star in the constellation Pictor and Barnard’s Star in Ophiuchus. M101 has five notable companion galaxies: NGC 5474, NGC 5204, NGC 5477, NGC 5585 and Holmberg IV. The grand design pattern of the Pinwheel Galaxy is suspected to be a result of the interaction between the galaxy and its companions. Messier 108 (M108, NGC 3556) Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprinted.). New York, NY: Dover Publications Inc. pp. 207–208. ISBN 978-0-486-21079-7 . Retrieved 2010-12-12. The Big Dipper is also very useful in navigation as it points the way to Polaris, the North Star (Alpha Ursae Minoris), which is a part of another famous asterism, the Little Dipper in Ursa Minor constellation.