Ursa Major ER sa MAY jor Big Bear - Big Dipper
Star Name Coords. Dist.(ly) Mag. Spect. Type of Star Features, etc.
Alpha A Ursae Majoris
Alpha B Ursae Majoris
Dubhe
Arabic: "bear"
DOO bee
Alpha C Ursae Majoris
11h 3' 43.6
+61� 45' 3
124 2.02
4.95
K0II-III
A8V
Orange Giant
Blue White Main Seq.
The Big Dipper

To find the North Star,
imagine a line between
the two stars marking
the front of the cup
- Dubhe and Merak
(aka Alpha and Beta)
- continue that line up
about 5 times its length
points right to Polaris

This Constellation
is known as
The Government
in Chinese Mythology.

These 7 stars are
all of similar makeup
and relatively close to
each other - and to us
- likely a common origin.

To find the Ecliptic
(the orbital plane
of the Solar System),
the curve of the handle
of the Big Dipper "arcs" to
Arcturus (Alpha Bootis) -
continue the same arc to
Spica (Alpha Virginis)
- right on the Ecliptic -
with Blue Regulus
(Alpha Leonis)
to the west
and Red Antares
(Alpha Scorpii)
to the east.
11h 3' 22
+61� 39' 16
160 7.14 F White
Dwarf
Merak
Arabic: "flank"
Beta Ursae Majoris
11h 1' 50.4
+56� 22' 56
79 2.34 A1V Blue White
Main Sequence
Phecda
Arabic: "thigh"
Gamma Ursae Majoris
11h 53' 49.8
+53� 41' 41
84 2.41 A0V Blue White
Main Sequence
Megrez
Arabic: "root of the tail"
Delta Ursae Majoris
12h 15' 25.5
+57� 1' 57
81 3.32 A3V Blue White
Main Sequence
Alioth
Arabic: "bull"
Epsilon Ursae Majoris
12h 54' 1.7
+55� 57' 35
62 1.76 A0 Blue White
Main Sequence
Mizar
Arabic: "groin"
Zeta Ursae Majoris
13h 23' 55.5
+54� 55' 31
78 2.25 A2 V Blue White
Main Sequence
- Optical Double -

Arabs, Native Americans
used as test of eyesight
- aka: Horse and Rider -
Alcor
aka: Suha
Arabic: "overlooked"
80 Ursae Majoris
13h 25' 13.5
+54� 59' 17
81 3.99 A5 V
Alkaid
or Benetnasch
both from the Arabic:
"chief of the mourners"
Eta Ursae Majoris
13h 47' 32.3
+49� 18' 48
101 1.85 B3 V Blue Main Seq
Theta
Ursae Majoris
9h 32' 51.3
+51� 40' 38
44 3.17 F6IV White
Sub Giant
26 Ursae Majoris 9h 34' 49.4
+52� 3' 5
270 4.47 A2V Blue White
Main Sequence
Talitha
Arabic: "third leap"
Iota Ursae Majoris
8h 59' 12.4
+48� 2' 30
48 3.12 A7 IV Blue White
Sub Giant
Third Leap
of the Gazelle
Kappa
Ursae Majoris
9h 3' 37.5
+47� 9' 24
423 3.57 A1V(i+) Blue White
Main Sequence
Tania
Borealis
"northern second leap"
Lambda Ursae Majoris
10h 17' 5.7
+42� 54' 52
134 3.45 A2IV Blue White
Sub Giant
Second Leap
of the Gazelle
Tania
Australis
"southern second leap"
Mu Ursae Majoris
10h 22' 19.7
+41� 29' 58
250 3.06 M0III Red
Giant
Alula Borealis
"northern second leap"
Nu Ursae Majoris
11h 18' 28.7
+33� 5' 39
420 3.49 K3III Orange
Giant
First Leap
of the Gazelle
Xi 1 Ursae Majoris
Alula Australis
"southern second leap"
Xi 2 Ursae Majoris
11h 18' 10.9
+31� 31' 45
25.8 4.41
4.87
G0V
G0V
Yellow
Main Sequence
Binary
Muscida
Latin: "muzzle"
Omicron Ursae Majoris
8h 30' 15.8
+60� 43' 5
184 3.35 G4II-III Yellow
Bright Giant
Pi 1 Ursae Majoris 8h 39' 11.7
+65� 1' 15
47 5.63 G1.5V Yellow
Main Sequence
Pi 2 Ursae Majoris 8h 40' 12.9
+64� 19' 41
250 4.59 K2III Orange
Giant
Rho Ursae Majoris 9h 2' 32.7
+67� 37' 47
290 4.74 M3III Red
Giant
Sigma 1
Ursae Majoris
9h 8' 23.5
+66� 52' 24
500 5.15 K5III Orange
Giant
Sigma 2A
Sigma 2B
Ursae Majoris
9h 10' 23.1
+67� 8' 4
67 4.92
8.85
F6IV
K
White Sub Giant
Orange Dwarf
Tau Ursae Majoris 9h 10' 55
+63� 30' 49
122 4.67 A Blue White
Dwarf
Upsilon
Ursae Majoris
9h 50' 59.3
+59� 2' 19
115 3.78 F2IV White
Sub Giant
Phi 1 Ursae Majoris
Phi 2 Ursae Majoris
9h 52' 6.3
+54� 3' 51
440 5.28
5.39
A3IV
A3IV
Blue White
Sub Giant
Binary
Chi
Ursae Majoris
11h 46' 3
+47� 46' 46
196 3.69 K2III Orange
Giant
Psi
Ursae Majoris
11h 9' 39.7
+44� 29' 54
147 3.0 K1III Orange
Giant
Omega
Ursae Majoris
10h 53' 58.7
+43� 11' 24
270 4.66 A1V Blue White
Main Sequence
15 Ursae Majoris 9h 8' 52.2
+51� 36' 16
95 4.46 A Blue White
Dwarf
16 Ursae Majoris 9h 14' 20.6
+61� 25' 24
64 5.18 F9V White
Main Sequence
23 Ursae Majoris 9h 31' 31.7
+63� 3' 43
76 3.65 F0IV White
Sub Giant
36 Ursae Majoris 10h 30' 37.5
+55� 58' 50
42 4.82 F8V White
Main Sequence
37 Ursae Majoris 10h 35' 9.6
+57� 4' 57
86 5.16 F1V White
Main Sequence
61 Ursae Majoris 11h 41' 2.9
+34� 12' 5
31 5.31 G8V Yellow
Main Sequence
78A Ursae Majoris
78B Ursae Majoris
13h 0' 43.7
+56� 21' 59
81 5.07
8.16
F2V
K
White Main Seq
Orange Dwarf
L21185
Ursae Majoris
11h 3' 20.2
+35� 58' 13
8.3 7.49 M2V Red
Main Sequence