When Was the Big Dipper Found?

Seven Stars

• Seven stars close together in the northern region of the sky comprise the Big Dipper, which gets that name from the pattern's resemblance to a ladle someone would use to scoop out a drink from a bucket or well.

Various Cultures

• The actual constellation the Big Dipper is a part of is Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Native Americans in North America and cultures from what is now Siberia and the Mediterranean region all saw this part of the sky as a giant bruin.

First Reference

• Space.com states that the first reference to this star pattern as a drinking ladle, bringing the Big Dipper moniker into play, came in American astronomy books dating to the 19th century.

British Interpretations

• The people of the British Isles saw the Big Dipper as a wagon, a chariot or a huge plow.

Eyesight Test

• Writings from the 13th century Arab world documented that people looked at the Big Dipper and noticed that the second star in the handle was actually two separate stars. They would call one the horse and the other the rider, with the stars constituting a diagnosis of good eyesight for those who could see both.

Greek Awareness

• The Greek myth of Ursa Major being a human the goddess Hera turned into a bear was around long before the birth of Christ, indicating this ancient civilization was cognizant of the Big Dipper and its surrounding stars.