Constellations are memorable maps to the stars, dating back many thousands of years.

Many of the constellations are associated with the Gods and Godesses of ancient Greek mythology.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has divided the sky into 88 official constellations with exact boundaries, so that every direction or location in the sky belongs to one constellation. Astronomers use this as a rough guideline for location objects, e.g. when they say that Mars is in the constellation of Gemini, it can be found within the borders of the constellation. The constellations that the Sun pass through each year are known as the Zodiac.

Ursa Minor

The Little Bear

Ursa Minor is a constellation in the northern sky, the name of which means Small Bear in Latin. It is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy.

Ursa Minor Mythology

The constellation of Ursa Minor, when including less visible stars which are still visible to the naked eye, vaguely resembles a bear (with an unusually long tail). In consequence, together with the nearby Ursa Major, it formed the basis of the myth of Callisto. The tail was said to have been lengthened, from that usually expected for a bear, due to the incessant spinning of the bear, by the tail, around the pole.

Further Information

It is notable as the location of the north celestial pole, although this will change after some centuries due to the precession of the equinoxes. Ursa Minor contains an asterism colloquially known as the Little Dipper because its seven brightest stars seem to form a ladle, or dipper shape. The star at the end of the dipper handle is Polaris, the North Star.

Ursa Minor Photographs

 

Taken on 2006-04-05, 1 views