Big Dipper Information
The Big Dipper is a grouping of 7 stars situated in the constellation Ursa Major in the Northern portion of the night sky. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Astrology Department the Big Dipper is an asterism, meaning it is not a constellation of its own but a distinctive group of stars within a constellation.
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Position
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The Stellar Guide astronomy website reports the Big Dipper is visible in the sky of the northern hemisphere throughout the year. The Big Dippers constellation of Ursa Major covers a large expanse of sky, measured in astrological terms as 1279.660 degrees. The University of Wisconsin-Madison reports the name Ursa Major is translated into English as The Greater Bear. The Big Dipper's cup is positioned as the saddle of the Great Bear constellation and the handle of the Big Dipper is the bear's tail.
Stars
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The stars of the asterism the Big Dipper are all named stars of the Ursa Major constellation. The bowl of the Big Dipper is made up of the stars Megrez, Dubhe, Merak and Phecda. There are 3 stars that make up the handle of the Big Dipper, which are named by the University of Wisconsin-Madison as Alioth, Mizar and Alkaid.
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Native Americans
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The University of Wisconsin-Madison reports the Big Dipper was an important group of stars for Native American people, which was often used for navigation. A Native American legend describes the bowl of the Big Dipper as a giant bear with the three stars of the handle three warriors hunting the animal. In the fall season the Big Dipper is seen low in the sky, which the Native Americans believed meant the warriors had injured the bear and stained the sky red with its blood.
Greek Myth
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The Big Dipper appears in a number of myths from around the world, including Greek mythology. The Greek God Zeus is said to have hidden the nymph, Castillo from his wife by turning her into a bear, which Zeus found to be unworkable because of the problem of hunters. To reduce these risks of Castillo being hunted as a bear he later hid her in the stars as the big and little bear, today known as the Big and Little Dippers of Ursa Major and Minor respectively.
Other Myths
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The Big Dipper appears in the literature and mythology of the majority of cultures around the world. The NF Observatory reports the Big Dipper was known in England as the resting place of King Arthur and was known as King Arthur's Chariot circling the North Pole. The Zuni Indians saw the Big Dipper as the great bear protecting the land from the Frozen Gods of the North, in the fall the bear would hibernate leaving the land at the mercy of the Gods.
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References
- Photo Credit native american powwow image by windzepher from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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annuska
Sep 22, 2009
Victoria, British Columbia Canada - September 21, 2009 - I saw the Big Dipper last night. It was amazing. I sat on a little bench on top of a mountain and gazed upwards. Then I saw the Big Dipper. The stars were the clearest I have ever seen. In the foreground was a communication tower with a bright red light on top of the building - and in the background was the black night sky. The red communication light seemed a blur in contrast to the clarity of the big dipper stars. The stars seemed like three dimensional objects, that is how bright they were. It was an intense experience.
