Stars That Make Up the Big Dipper

The Handle

• The handle of the Big Dipper comprises three stars: Alkaid, Mizar-Alcor and Alioth. Alkaid, also known as Benetnasch, is the first star in the handle, and the brightest star in the asterism. It is a second-magnitude star about 100 light years away. Mizar and Alcor are actually two stars that jointly form the central point of the handle. These stars are also known as the "Horse and Rider," and may be in orbit around each other. They are about 80 light years from earth. The final star in the handle is Alioth, which means "black horse." Alioth is the second brightest star in the Big Dipper; it's a white class A giant located about 81 light years from earth.

The Back of the Dipper

• On the east side of the bowl, where the back end hooks to the handle, are the stars Phecda and Megrez. Phecda is the bottom star; its name comes from the Arabic word for "thigh," because this star also makes up the back leg of the bear in Ursa Major. Phecda is a white class A dwarf star about 84 light years away. Megrez is the upper star, appearing where the handle meets the bowl. The dimmest of the stars in the Big Dipper, its name comes from the Arabic for "root of the tail," again referring to Ursa Major. Megrez is a white class A dwarf star about 81 light years away.

The Front of the Dipper

• The front end of the Big Dipper comprises the stars Merak and Dubhe. Merak is the bottom star on the front of the dipper. It gets its name from the Arabic word for "flank," referring again to Ursa Major. A white class A dwarf similar to our sun, it is 79 light years from earth. Dubhe is the top star. Together with Merak, it indicates Polaris, or the North Star, which lies directly north of Merak and Dubhe. At 124 light years away, Dubhe is the most distant star in the asterism. This orange class K giant is also the biggest star in the Big Dipper; it's 300 times brighter than our sun.