Constellations · Constellation · Ursae Minoris · UMi
Constellation
Ursa Minor
The Little Bear — or the Little Dipper — whose tail ends in Polaris, the North Star, almost exactly at the pole of the sky.
- Genitive
- Ursae Minoris
- Area
- 256 square degrees · 56th of 88
- Brightest star
- Polaris · magnitude 1.97
- Naked-eye stars
- 39 brighter than magnitude 6.5
- Highest at midnight
- early May
History
Thales is said to have told the Greeks to steer by it, as the Phoenicians did; for centuries Greek sailors called these stars “Phoenice”.
Did you know
Polaris is not bright — about fiftieth in the sky — but it barely moves, so its altitude is your latitude. It will be closest to the pole around 2100.
Look for
Kochab and Pherkad, the Guardians of the Pole, circle Polaris like a clock hand. Their faint neighbours are a good test of your sky’s darkness.