The Little Dipper
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| The Little Dipper | |
|---|---|
| |
| Observational Data | |
| Right ascension | 15h |
| Declination | +75o |
| Nearby constellations | Draco Camelopardalis Cepheus |
| Area | 256 sq. deg. |
| Number of stars | 23 Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
| Main stars | 7 |
| Brightest star | Polaris (Apparent Mag: 2.02) |
| Nearest star to Earth | Pi Ursae Minoris (70.8 ly) |
| Known planets | 1 |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Ancient symbol | Little Bear |
Ursa Minor, a constellation colloquially known as the Little Dipper, is a circumpolar constellation located in the northern celestial sphere. The name Ursa Minor is from Latin, meaning "little bear". The handle of the Little Dipper is the tail of the Little Bear, while the cup represents the flank of the bear.[1] The constellation is often associated with the constellation Ursa Major, which contains the asterism known as the Big Dipper. The constellation was one of the original 44 as recorded by Ptolemy, and is one of the 88 modern constellations today.[2] Ursa Minor is also well known as the north celestial pole is presently located within the constellation near the star Polaris.
Named Stars
- Polaris - Alpha Ursae Majoris (α UMi)
- Kochab - Beta Ursae Majoris (β UMi)
- Pherkad - Gamma Ursae Majoris (γ UMi)
- Yidum - Delta Ursae Majoris (δ UMi)
- Urodelus - Epsilon Ursae Majoris (ε UMi)
- Akhfa al Farkadain - Zeta Ursae Majoris (ζ UMi)
- Anwar al Farkadain - Eta Ursae Majoris (η UMi)
- Pherkad Minor - 11 Ursae Majoris (11 UMi)