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Big Dipper Constellation Activities

The Big Dipper is the well-known ladle-like shape in the night sky composed of seven stars in the constellation Ursa Major. Although many novice stargazers think the Big Dipper is a constellation in its own right, "Singularity Scientific" notes that the familiar shape is actually an asterism, which is simply a group of stars that make an easily recognizable shape. You can participate in educational activities to gain some insight into the formation and history of what is perhaps the world's most famous asterism.

Constellation Chart
- Chart the progress of Ursa Major, the constellation containing the Big Dipper, as Earth travels around the sun over the course of the year. Download a free template from NASA's Space Place to see where the Big Dipper is in your area's night sky and track its progress over the following months on your own constellation chart. Ursa Major only appears in the northern skies, and at least part of the Big Dipper is visible year-round in most parts of Asia, Europe and North America.
Discover Mythologies
- Research the many mythologies behind Ursa Major, the "Great Bear" constellation, to gain a better understanding of the role the Big Dipper has played in different cultures throughout history. Also known as "the Plough" in the United Kingdom, "Saptarishi" in Hindu astronomy and "the Crustacean" in Burma, the Big Dipper has played a major role in the mythologies of many civilizations over time. Ursa Major, the night sky's third largest constellation, has been recognized as "the Great Bear" in ancient Greek, Roman, Native American and Jewish mythologies, and most of these cultures imagined the animal shape in the night sky to include a long tail.
Spotlight the Stars
- Take some time to get to know the individual stars that make up the Big Dipper, which happen to be the brightest stars in the constellation Ursa Major: Alkaid, Mizar, Alioth, Megrez, Phecda, Dubhe and Merak. "Singularly Science" notes that five of the stars making up the Big Dipper are actually in close proximity to each other in deep space, and they were likely formed at about the same time. Dubhe and Merak stand out as the younger and more luminous of the group, pointing the way toward Polaris, the North Star or Pole Star, which is the brightest star in Ursa Minor, the "Smaller Bear."
Find Polaris
- From Pacific sailors to "Follow the Drinking Gourd," a song used among Colonial African Americans fleeing slavery in the south, the Big Dipper has been helping people navigate by serving as a simple guide to the North Star in the night sky. Find Polaris, the North Star, by connecting the two stars farthest from the Big Dipper's "handle," Merak and Dubhe, and follow that line from the bowl to Polaris, the brightest star in the "Little Dipper." You can also follow the handle of the Big Dipper to Arcturus, the second brightest star visible in the northern hemisphere.

Astronomy