1. URSA MAJOR

2. WHAT IS THE URSA MAJOR Ursa major is a constellation that comes from the latin terms "Ursa" and "Major" which literally means "Great Bear". It can be visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It is a group of seven relatively bright stars commonly known as the "Big Dipper".

3. T HEN WHAT IS URSA MINOR?

4. URSA MINOR It is also known as "Little Dipper" or a "Little Bear". Like the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, so the North American name, Little Dipper: seven stars with four in its bowl like its partner the Big Dipper. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Ursa Minor has traditionally been important for navigation, particularly by mariners, because of Polaris being the North Star.

5. SOME INTERESTING FACTS It is one of the oldest constellations in the sky, with a history dating back to ancient times. The constellation is referenced in Homer and the Bible. A great number of tales and legends across the globe associate Ursa Major with a bear. The Romans called the constellation Septentrio, or “seven plough oxen,” even though only two of the seven stars represented oxen, while the others formed a wagon. Ursa Major is associated with many different forms in the sky in different cultures, from the camel, shark and skunk to the sickle, bushel and canoe. The Chinese know the seven brightest stars, or Tseih Sing, as the Government, or Pih Tow, the Northern Measure.

6. THE DETAILED DIAGRAM