Big Dipper

Asterism · names vary across cultures

A dipper, a plough, a guide

These seven stars are a pattern inside Ursa Major, rather than a separate constellation. Their familiar outline has suggested a water dipper in North America, a plough in Europe and a northern dipper in Chinese tradition.

Four stars make a bowl, with three extending into a bent handle. This is only part of the larger Great Bear figure.

People around the world have given these stars different figures and stories. This is one interpretation. Lines are recognition aids, rather than official constellation boundaries.

Finding Big Dipper

Above the horizon. Clear skies and a dark enough view are still needed. The figure’s centre is toward the north in this preview.

Use the bright reference stars below to recognise the shape. A complete drawing can extend outside the current camera window, even when its stars are above the horizon. Open its guide in Sky Timeline to compare the stars with an illustrated interpretation where available.

Bright reference stars

Dubhe

Magnitude 1.8

Alkaid

Magnitude 1.9

Lower magnitude numbers mean brighter stars. Clouds, nearby lighting and moonlight change what your eyes can pick out.

Explore another night

Visibility changes with place, season and time. Move through the night to see the object rise, cross the sky and set, while weather remains a separate estimate.