How to Find Ursa Major, the Big Dipper

Find a spot at night away from the glow of bright lights.

Face north. If you are unsure of which direction is north, the area of sky that the sun set in should be on your left. Otherwise, use a compass to point you in the proper direction.

Look up into the northern night sky, starting at the horizon line. When you get one-third of the way up the sky (zenith being directly over your head), look for seven stars that stand out from the others. The three stars that make up the handle of the Big Dipper are usually the brightest (Alkaid, Mizar, and Alioth). Follow where the handle bends down, and that will take you to the bowl of the dipper, made up of four stars (Megrez, Pecda, Merak, and Dubhe).

Follow the two stars that form the outside of the Big Dipper's bowl (Merak and Dubhe). An imaginary line runs through them to the North Star (Polaris), a relatively isolated and not particularly bright star. The ability to find the North Star is a survival skill if you are ever lost, as once you know where North is, you can make your way in any necessary direction. The North Star is also the end of the handle of the Little Dipper.

The Big Dipper can also be used to find other stars. To take one example--by following the curve of the handle, the eye can trace an imaginary arc to Arcturus, the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere (behind only Sirius) and then on from Arcturus to Spica. Astronomers use the following mnemonic: "Arc to Arcturus then speed on to Spica." Likewise, the Big Dipper can be used to locate Capella, the twin stars Castor and Pollux, and Regulus in the constellation Leo.