Ursa Major

Greco-Roman mythology · one version

The Great Bear

In one Greco-Roman telling, Callisto is transformed into a bear and ultimately placed in the sky. The bear is much larger than the familiar Big Dipper, which forms only part of its outline.

Imagine a large bear with legs and an unusually long tail. The Big Dipper’s handle is traditionally drawn as that tail.

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 Ursa Major

Part of the pattern is below the horizon. 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

Alioth

Magnitude 1.8

Dubhe

Magnitude 1.8

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.