Ursa Major – The Great Bear

Ursa Major is one of the 88 constellations within the celestial sphere.

Ursa Major is one of the 42 constellations that represents an animal.

Symbolism: Ursa Major is also known as ‘The Great Bear’ or ‘the Big Dipper’

 

 

History & Mythology

Ursa Major has been known by many different cultures and represents many different things for these cultures throughout history. Ursa Major has a number of different names, from Bear to Big Dipper, to Plough and even Wagon. In Roman mythology, the king of the gods Jupiter jealous wife transforms Callisto into a Bear to no longer attract Jupiter. Ursa Major has been very famous throughout history due to its recognizable features in the sky. 

Key Data

Bordering Constellations: Ursa Major is bordered by constellations Draco, Lynx, Leo, Leo Minor, Bootes, Coma Berenices & Canes Venatici.  

Sky Chart #: 1.

Star Raking: 3rd largest constellation in the celestial sphere. 

Main Stars: Ursa Major consists of 20 main stars.

Brightest Star: Alioth.  

 

Kids Fun Facts Corner

# 1. The 7 stars that make up the famous Plough shape are Dubhe, Merak, Phad, Megrez, Ailoth, Mizar & Alkaid.

# 2.Alioth is the brightest star in Ursa Major.

# 3. Ursa Major is the 3rd largest constellation and can be used as a directional compass.

 

Q&A Corner

Q. What is Ursa Major also known as?

Q. How many main stars does Ursa Major have?

Q. What is the brightest star in Ursa Major?

Q. How many stars have planets in Ursa Major?

Q. What number star ranking is Ursa Major in the celestial sphere?

Download questions about the Ursa Major Constellation here: Ursa Major Constellation (answers are on this page)

Teachers. For more in depth work sheets on constellations. Click on Kidskonnect Worksheets  

For further reading and more info on the Ursa Major Constellation visit www.dkfindout.com/Ursa Major