Hobbies And Interests
Identification
Ursa Major is located in the northern sky because of its close proximity to the north celestial pole, a point in space directly over the Earth's north pole. The seven stars that form the Big Dipper part of the constellation are only a few of the many stars in Ursa Major. The Big Dipper has a rectangular "bowl" of four bright stars and a curved "handle' of three more. Much dimmer stars form the rest of the constellation, which according to many legends portrays a giant bear.
The Greek Legend
Greek stories surrounding Ursa Major tell of the maiden Callisto, who was one of the many conquests of the king of the gods, Zeus. According to which version you hear, Hera, the wife of Zeus, or another goddess, Artemis, turned Callisto into a bear when learning of her affair. The son that she bore came upon her in her bear form one day and was about to kill her. Zeus, out of pity for Callisto, intervened and turned the son into a bear as well. The Greeks say that Zeus placed both in the sky, one as Ursa Major, the Big Bear, and another as Ursa Minor, the Little Bear.
Native American History
Native American tribes saw this part of the sky as a huge bear, but had a different story to tell. The Narragansetts, Housatonics, Illinois, Iroquois and Algonquin tribes all saw Ursa Major as a bear. Knowing though that bears have short tails, these tribes believed the four stars that form the bowl were the bear and the three in the handle were a trio of hunters in hot pursuit. The middle star of the handle, Mizar, is a double star that takes good eyesight to detect. The tribes said that the companion of Mizar was a pot in which to cook the bear.
Directions North
According to the Astropix website, slaves in the Deep South used Ursa Major and the Big Dipper as a compass to escape to northern states. By drawing an imaginary line from the bottom star in the part of the bowl farthest from the handle through the upper star, you will come to Polaris, a star that sits almost right on the north celestial pole. Following Polaris meant you would head north. A folk song called "Follow the Drinking Gourd" evolved as a set of directions to find north using Ursa Major.
Other Ursa Major History
In Britain, Ursa Major represented a huge plow or wagon, with much of the King Arthur legend associated with the star group. Shakespeare referred to the Big Dipper in many of his works. Egyptians saw the thighs of a heavenly bull when looking at Ursa Major. The Arabs called Mizar, and its companion Alcor, the Horse and Rider. In 1926, 13-year-old Bennie Benson entered a contest to design a flag for Alaska, which was not yet a state. Bennie's flag shows the Big Dipper pointing to the North Star--eight stars of gold on a background of blue--and Alaska adopted the flag in 1959.