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When Is the Big Dipper Visible?

Search the night sky for the seven stars--three that form a handle and four that make a rectangular shaped bowl--that comprise part of the Ursa Major constellation known as the Big Dipper. You can see the Big Dipper any time during the evening at certain latitudes in the U.S. if you know where to look.

Identification
- The Big Dipper is what astronomers call a circumpolar group of stars, meaning that it exists very close to the celestial North Pole, an imaginary spot in the heavens corresponding to a point directly over the earth̵7;s own North Pole.
Fixed Position
- Polaris, in the constellation of Ursa Minor, is the closest star in the night sky to the celestial North Pole. As the earth rotates and the stars appear to move, only Polaris appears to stay in the same place.
Sky Clock
- Watch the Big Dipper and it will appear to move counterclockwise around Polaris, almost as if it were the hands of a sky clock.
Geography
- According to the space.com website, an observer in American cities at about 30 degrees north latitude, such as Houston and New Orleans, can watch part of the Big Dipper ̶0;set̶1; as it goes below the horizon, only to reappear hours later.
Always Visible
- If you are in a place about 35 degrees north and higher, the Big Dipper is visible in its entirety all the time. Look to the north and you will be able to spot it on a clear evening.

Astronomy