✧ Big Dipper The Big Dipper is an asterism in Ursa Major. ⣀• ⢀⣠⠞⠁⠈⡇ ⣀⡴⠋ ⢹⡀ ⢀⡤⠞⠁ ⣇ ⣠⠴⠋ ⠸⡄ ⢀⡤⠞⠁ ⢀⣠• ⣀⣀⡤⠤•⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤·⡋ ⢀⣠⠖⠋ ⣠•⠒⠋⠉⠁ ⠙⢦⡀ ⢀⣠⠖⠋ ⣠⠞⠁ ⠙⢦⡀ ⢀⣠⠖⠋ ⢀⡴⠋⠁ ⠙•⠋ ⣠⠴⠋ •⠁ Type Asterism Constellation Ursa Major Stars 7 More information about Big Dipper The Big Dipper is not a constellation, but a part of Ursa Major, and probably the most widely recognised shape in the northern sky. The two stars at the end of the bowl point at Polaris. The middle star of the handle, Mizar, has a companion visible to good eyesight, which was used as a vision test for centuries. Etymology From American English Reading the Big Dipper Literally the big ladle Greek Arktos, the bear ─┐ Latin Plaustrum, the wagon ─┤ English the Plough ─┤ American English the Big Dipper ─┼──▶ Sanskrit Saptarishi, seven sages ─┤ Chinese Beidou, the northern ladle ─┘ no shared root and no shared picture: the same seven stars are a bear, a cart, a plough, a ladle and seven sages, depending on who is looking The evolution of Big Dipper over time -50,000 years Dubhe ⢠•⢦ ⡴⠁ ⠑⢄ ⢠⠎ ⠈⠣⡄ ⢀⠴⠁ ⠈⠢⡀ ⡰⠋ ⠙⢤ ⢀⠞ ⠱⢄ ⢀⡰⠃ ⠈⠣⡀ ⣠⠊ ⠈⢢⡀ ⢀⡔⠁ ⣘⡆ ⣀⣠⠊ ⢀⡠⠔⠋⠁• Mizar Alioth ⢀⣀⣀⣀⠤⠤⠤⠖⠒⠒⠒⠉⠉⠉ ·⠢⡀ ⣀⠤⠒⠁ ⣀⡤•⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠊⠉⠉⠉⠉•⠁ Megrez ⠈⠢⣀ ⢀⡠⠖⠋⠁ Merak ⢀⡠⠤⠒⠉⠁ ⠈⠲⣀ ⢀⠤⠒⠁ ⣀⠤⠔⠊⠉ ⠈⠲⢄ ⢀⣠⠔⠊⠁ ⢀⡠⠴⠚⠉ ⠈⠱•⠉ ⣠⠤⠒⠉⠁ Phecda ⣀⡤⠔⠊⠉ • Alkaid now ⣀ Dubhe ⣀⠔⠋•⡄ ⣀⠔⠋⠁ ⢱⡀ ⢀⡠⠊⠁ ⢣ ⢀⣠⠔⠉ ⠘⡆ ⣠⠔⠉ ⠸⡄ ⢀⠴⠊ ⢱ ⢀⡠⠚⠁ ⢧ ⢀⡠⠚⠁ ⣀⠜• Merak ⣀⣠⠔⠉ ⢀⡤⠖⠋ Alioth ⢀⣀⣀⣠⠤⠤⠔⠒⠒⠒⠉⠉⠉ ·⠢⣀ ⢀⠤⠊⠁ ⢀⡠⠤⠤⠤⠤⠔⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠉⠉•⠉⠁ Megrez ⠈⠱⢄ ⢀⣠⠴⠊⠁ ⢀⠴⠊• Mizar ⠓⢄ ⢀⡠⠒⠉ ⢀⠔⠉ ⠑⢆⡀ ⣀⠴⠚⠁ ⣀⠖⠁ ⠉•⠋⠁ ⡠⠎⠁ Phecda ⢀⡤⠋ ⢀⠔⠃ Alkaid •⠁ +50,000 years ⣀⠤• Dubhe ⢀⣀⠤⠒⠉ ⢸ ⢀⡠⠔⠊⠁ ⢀⠇ ⢀⡠⠔⠊⠁ ⡼ ⢀⡠⠔⠊⠁ ⢠⠇ ⣀⡤⠔⠊⠁ ⡜ ⣀⡤⠖⠋⠁ ⢰⠁ ⣀⡤⠖⠋⠁ ⣠⠴• Merak Megrez ⣀⡤⠖⠋⠁ ⢀⡠⠔⠉ Alioth ⢀⣀⣀⡠⠤⠤⠖⠒⠒⠋⠉⠉·⠦⡀ ⢀⡠⠚⠉ ⢀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠒⠒•⠒⠊⠉⠉⠁ ⠉⠢⡄ ⣀⠴⠚⠁ • Mizar ⠈⠓⣄ ⣠⠔⠊ ⢰⠁ ⠑⢆⡀ ⡠⠔⠋⠁ ⡇ ⠉⠢⠖⠉ ⣸ • Phecda ⢀⠇ ⡜ ⢰⠁ ⡎ • Alkaid Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 26%, and the furthest any of its stars travels is 1.9 degrees. Dubhe and Alkaid drift the opposite way to the other 5, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving. curl 'skymap.sh/Big%20Dipper/evolution.gif' where it is tonight: skymap.sh/Big Dipper