Ursa Major

Quick Facts

Name:	Ursa Major URR-sah MAY-jer
Meaning:	Great Bear
Abbreviation:	UMa
Genitive:	Ursae Majoris
Visible in Latitudes:	90° thru -30°
Viewing Season:	All year (circumpolar)
Best Seen In:	April, 9:00 pm
Transit Date:	March 8
Right Ascension:	10.67 hours
Declination:	55.4 degrees
Area:	1279.660 sq. degrees

Star Diagram

Star Diagram: Ursa Major

About Ursa Major

Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is visible in the Northern Hemisphere all year long. It contains the Big Dipper and is the best known of all the constellations, appearing in every reference known.

Callisto was changed to a bear, because of Zeus's jealousy, and transferred to the sky. This is improbable, as the constellation was already well established before this time. The drawings all show a bear with a long tail, which is again not likely correct since bears have no tails.

Named Stars

Name		Star

Dubhe		Alpha UMa
Merak		Beta UMa
Phad		Gamma UMa
Megrez		Delta UMa
Alioth		Epsilon UMa
Mizar		Zeta UMa
Alkaid		Eta UMa
Talitha		Iota UMa
Tania Borealis		Lambda UMa
Tania Australis		Mu UMa
Alula Borealis		Nu UMa
Alula Australis		Xi UMa
Muscida		Omicron UMa
Muscida		Pi 1 UMa
Muscida		Pi 2 UMa
Alcor		80 UMa

Messier Objects

Name		Type

M40		Double Star
M81		Spiral Galaxy
M82		Irregular Galaxy
M97		Planetary Nebula
M101		Spiral Galaxy
M108		Spiral Galaxy
M109		Spiral Galaxy