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Constellation | |
Abbreviation | UMa |
---|---|
Genitive | Ursae Majoris |
Pronunciation | /ˈɜːrsəˈmeɪdʒər/, genitive /ˌɜːrsiːməˈdʒɒrɪs/ |
Symbolism | the Great Bear |
Right ascension | 10.67h |
Declination | +55.38° |
Quadrant | NQ2 |
Area | 1280 sq. deg. (3rd) |
Main stars | 7, 20 |
Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 93 |
Stars with planets | 21 |
Stars brighter than 3.00m | 7 |
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 8 |
Brightest star | ε UMa (Alioth) (1.76m) |
Messier objects | 7 |
Meteor showers | Alpha Ursa Majorids Leonids-Ursids |
Bordering constellations | Draco Camelopardalis Lynx Leo Minor Leo Coma Berenices Canes Venatici Boötes |
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −30°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of April. The Big Dipper or Plough |
Ursa Major (/ˈɜːrsəˈmeɪdʒər/; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory.[1] Its Latin name means 'greater (or larger) she-bear,' referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa Minor, the lesser bear. In antiquity, it was one of the original 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. Today it is the third largest of the 88 modern constellations.
Ursa Major is primarily known from the asterism of its main seven stars, which has been called the 'Big Dipper,' 'the Wagon,' 'Charles's Wain,'[2] and 'the Plough,'[3] among other names. In particular, the Big Dipper's stellar configuration mimics the shape of the 'Little Dipper.' Its two brightest stars, named Dubhe and Merak (α Ursae Majoris and β Ursae Majoris), can be used as the navigational pointer towards the place of the current northern pole star, Polaris in Ursa Minor.
Ursa Major, along with asterisms that incorporate or comprise it, is significant to numerous world cultures, often as a symbol of the north. Its depiction on the flag of Alaska is a modern example of such symbolism.
Ursa Major is visible throughout the year from most of the northern hemisphere, and appears circumpolar above the mid-northern latitudes. From southern temperate latitudes, the main asterism is invisible, but the southern parts of the constellation can still be viewed.
Ursa Major covers 1279.66 square degrees or 3.10% of the total sky, making it the third largest constellation. In 1930, Eugène Delporte set its official International Astronomical Union (IAU) constellation boundaries, defining it as a 28-sided irregular polygon. In the equatorial coordinate system, the constellation stretches between the right ascension coordinates of 08h 08.3m and 14h 29.0m and the declination coordinates of +28.30° and +73.14°.[4] Ursa Major borders eight other constellations: Draco to the north and northeast, Boötes to the east, Canes Venatici to the east and southeast, Coma Berenices to the southeast, Leo and Leo Minor to the south, Lynx to the southwest and Camelopardalis to the northwest. The three-letter constellation abbreviation 'UMa' was adopted by the IAU in 1922.
The 'Big Dipper' (a term mainly used in the United States and Canada; Plough and (historically) Charles' Wain[2] are often used in the United Kingdom[5]) is an asterism within Ursa Major composed of seven bright stars (six of them of second magnitude or higher) that together comprise one of the best-known patterns in the sky. As many of its common names allude, its shape is said to resemble either a ladle, an agricultural plough or wagon; in the context of Ursa Major, they are commonly drawn to represent the hindquarters and tail of the Great Bear. Starting with the 'ladle' portion of the dipper and extending clockwise (eastward in the sky) through the handle, these stars are the following:
Except for Dubhe and Alkaid, the stars of the Big Dipper all have proper motions heading toward a common point in Sagittarius. A few other such stars have been identified, and together they are called the Ursa Major Moving Group.
The stars Merak (β Ursae Majoris) and Dubhe (α Ursae Majoris) are known as the 'pointer stars' because they are helpful for finding Polaris, also known as the North Star or Pole Star. By visually tracing a line from Merak through Dubhe (1 unit) and continuing for 5 units, one's eye will land on Polaris, accurately indicating true north.
Another asterism known as the 'Three Leaps of the Gazelle'[10] is recognized in Arab culture. It is a series of three pairs of stars found along the southern border of the constellation. From southeast to southwest, the 'first leap', comprising ν and ξ Ursae Majoris (Alula Borealis and Australis, respectively); the 'second leap', comprising λ and μ Ursae Majoris (Tania Borealis and Australis); and the 'third leap', comprising ι and κ Ursae Majoris, (Talitha Borealis and Australis).
W Ursae Majoris is the prototype of a class of contact binaryvariable stars, and ranges between 7.75m and 8.48m.
47 Ursae Majoris is a Sun-like star with a three-planet system.[11]47 Ursae Majoris b, discovered in 1996, orbits every 1078 days and is 2.53 times the mass of Jupiter.[12]47 Ursae Majoris c, discovered in 2001, orbits every 2391 days and is 0.54 times the mass of Jupiter.[13]47 Ursae Majoris d, discovered in 2010, has an uncertain period, lying between 8907 and 19097 days; it is 1.64 times the mass of Jupiter.[14] The star is of magnitude 5.0 and is approximately 46 light-years from Earth.[11]
The star TYC 3429-697-1 ( 9h 40m 44s; 48°14′2″, located to the east of θ Ursae Majoris and to the southwest of the 'Big Dipper') has been recognized as the state star of Delaware, and is informally known as the Delaware Diamond.[15]
Several bright galaxies are found in Ursa Major, including the pair Messier 81 (one of the brightest galaxies in the sky) and Messier 82 above the bear's head, and Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), a spiral northeast of η Ursae Majoris. The spiral galaxiesMessier 108 and Messier 109 are also found in this constellation. The bright planetary nebulaOwl Nebula (M97) can be found along the bottom of the bowl of the Big Dipper.
M81 is a nearly face-on spiral galaxy 11.8 million light-years from Earth. Like most spiral galaxies, it has a core made up of old stars, with arms filled with young stars and nebulae. Along with M82, it is a part of the galaxy cluster closest to the Local Group.
M82 is a galaxy that is interacting gravitationally with M81. It is the brightest infrared galaxy in the sky.[16]SN 2014J, an apparent Type Ia supernova, was observed in M82 on 21 January 2014.[17]
M97, also called the Owl Nebula, is a planetary nebula 1,630 light-years from Earth; it has a magnitude of approximately 10. It was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Méchain.[18]
M101, also called the Pinwheel Galaxy, is a face-on spiral galaxy located 25 million light-years from Earth. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. Its spiral arms have regions with extensive star formation and have strong ultraviolet emissions.[16] It has an integrated magnitude of 7.5, making it visible in both binoculars and telescopes, but not to the naked eye.[19]
NGC 2787 is a lenticular galaxy at a distance of 24 million light-years. Unlike most lenticular galaxies, NGC 2787 has a bar at its center. It also has a halo of globular clusters, indicating its age and relative stability.[16]
NGC 3079 is a starburst spiral galaxy located 52 million light-years from Earth. It has a horseshoe-shaped structure at its center that indicates the presence of a supermassive black hole. The structure itself is formed by superwinds from the black hole.[16]
NGC 3310 is another starburst spiral galaxy located 50 million light-years from Earth. Its bright white color is caused by its higher than usual rate of star formation, which began 100 million years ago after a merger. Studies of this and other starburst galaxies have shown that their starburst phase can last for hundreds of millions of years, far longer than was previously assumed.[16]
NGC 4013 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located 55 million light-years from Earth. It has a prominent dust lane and has several visible star forming regions.[16]
I Zwicky 18 is a young dwarf galaxy at a distance of 45 million light-years. Gun with no serial number. The youngest-known galaxy in the visible universe, I Zwicky 18 is about 4 million years old, about one-thousandth the age of the Solar System. It is filled with star forming regions which are creating many hot, young, blue stars at a very high rate.[16]
The Hubble Deep Field is located to the northeast of δ Ursae Majoris.
The Kappa Ursae Majorids are a newly discovered meteor shower, peaking between November 1 and November 10.[20]
HD 80606, a sun-like star in a binary system, orbits a common center of gravity with its partner, HD 80607; the two are separated by 1,200 AU on average. Research conducted in 2003 indicates that its sole planet, HD 80606 b is a future hot Jupiter, modeled to have evolved in a perpendicular orbit around 5 AU from its sun. The 4-Jupiter mass planet is projected to eventually move into a circular, more aligned orbit via the Kozai mechanism. However, it is currently on an incredibly eccentric orbit that ranges from approximately one astronomical unit at its apoapsis and six stellar radii at periapsis.[21]
Ursa Major has been reconstructed as an Indo-European constellation.[22] It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century AD astronomer Ptolemy in his Almagest, who called it Arktos Megale.[a] It is mentioned by such poets as Homer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Tennyson and also by Federico Garcia Lorca, in 'Song for the Moon'.[24]Ancient Finnish poetry also refers to the constellation, and it features in the painting Starry Night Over the Rhône by Vincent van Gogh.[25][26] It may be mentioned in the biblical book of Job, dated between the 7th and 4th centuries BC, although this is often disputed.[27]
The constellation of Ursa Major has been seen as a bear, usually a female bear,[28] by many distinct civilizations.[29] This may stem from a common oral tradition stretching back more than 13,000 years.[30] Using statistical and phylogenetic tools, Julien d'Huy reconstructs the following Palaeolithic state of the story: 'There is an animal that is a horned herbivore, especially an elk. One human pursues this ungulate. Jason julius female blueprint download torrent. The hunt locates or get to the sky. The animal is alive when it is transformed into a constellation. It forms the Big Dipper.'[31]
In Roman mythology, Jupiter (the king of the gods) lusts after a young woman named Callisto, a nymph of Diana. Juno, Jupiter's jealous wife, discovers that Callisto has a son named Arcas, and believes it is by Jupiter.[32] Juno then transforms the beautiful Callisto into a bear so she no longer attracts Jupiter. Callisto, while in bear form, later encounters her son Arcas. Arcas almost shoots the bear, but to avert the tragedy, Jupiter turns Arcas into a bear too and puts them both in the sky, forming Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Callisto is Ursa Major and her son, Arcas, is Ursa Minor. In ancient times the name of the constellation was Helike, ('turning'), because it turns around the Pole. In Book Two of Lucan it is called Parrhasian Helice, since Callisto came from Parrhasia in Arcadia, where the story is set.[33]The Odyssey notes that it is the sole constellation that never sinks below the horizon and 'bathes in the Ocean's waves,' so it is used as a celestial reference point for navigation.[34] It is also called the 'Wain.'[35]
In Hinduism, Ursa Major is known as Saptarshi, each of the stars representing one of the Saptarshis or Seven Sages viz. Bhrigu, Atri, Angirasa, Vasishta, Pulastya, Pulalaha and Kratu. The fact that the two front stars of the constellations point to the pole star is explained as the boon given to the boy sage Dhruva by Lord Vishnu.[citation needed]
One of the few star groups mentioned in the Bible (Job 9:9; 38:32; – Orion and the Pleiades being others), Ursa Major was also pictured as a bear by the Jewish peoples. 'The Bear' was translated as 'Arcturus' in the Vulgate and it persisted in the King James Bible.
In China and Japan, the Big Dipper is called the 'North Dipper' 北斗 (Chinese: běidǒu, Japanese: hokuto), and in ancient times, each one of the seven stars had a specific name, often coming themselves from ancient China:
In Shinto, the seven largest stars of Ursa Major belong to Amenominakanushi, the oldest and most powerful of all kami.
In South Korea, the constellation is referred to as 'the seven stars of the north.' In the related myth, a widow with seven sons found comfort with a widower, but to get to his house required crossing a stream. The seven sons, sympathetic to their mother, placed stepping stones in the river. Their mother, not knowing who put the stones in place, blessed them and, when they died, they became the constellation.
The Iroquois interpreted Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid as three hunters pursuing the Great Bear. According to one version of their myth, the first hunter (Alioth) is carrying a bow and arrow to strike down the bear. The second hunter (Mizar) carries a large pot – the star Alcor – on his shoulder in which to cook the bear while the third hunter (Alkaid) hauls a pile of firewood to light a fire beneath the pot.
The Lakota people call the constellation Wičhákhiyuhapi, or 'Great Bear.'[38]
The Wampanoag people (Algonquian) referred to Ursa Major as 'maske,' meaning 'bear' according to Thomas Morton in The New England Canaan.[39]
The Wasco-Wishram Native Americans interpreted the constellation as 5 wolves and 2 bears that were left in the sky by Coyote.[40]
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In the Finnish language, the asterism is sometimes called by its old Finnish name, Otava. The meaning of the name has been almost forgotten in Modern Finnish; it means a salmonweir. Ancient Finns believed the bear (Ursus arctos) was lowered to earth in a golden basket off the Ursa Major, and when a bear was killed, its head was positioned on a tree to allow the bear's spirit to return to Ursa Major.
In Burmese, Pucwan Tārā (ပုဇွန် တာရာ, pronounced 'bazun taya') is the name of a constellation comprising stars from the head and forelegs of Ursa Major; pucwan (ပုဇွန်) is a general term for a crustacean, such as prawn, shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.
In Javanese, it is known as 'lintang jong,' which means 'the jong constellation.' Likewise, in Malay it is called 'bintang jong.'[41]
In Theosophy, it is believed that the Seven Stars of the Pleiades focus the spiritual energy of the Seven Rays from the Galactic Logos to the Seven Stars of the Great Bear, then to Sirius, then to the Sun, then to the god of Earth (Sanat Kumara), and finally through the seven Masters of the Seven Rays to the human race.[42]
In European star charts, the constellation was visualized with the 'square' of the Big Dipper forming the bear's body and the chain of stars forming the Dipper's 'handle' as a long tail. However, bears do not have long tails, and Jewish astronomers considered Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid instead to be three cubs following their mother, while the Native Americans saw them as three hunters.
Noted children's book author H. A. Rey, in his 1952 book The Stars: A New Way to See Them, (ISBN0-395-24830-2) had a different asterism in mind for Ursa Major, that instead had the 'bear' image of the constellation oriented with Alkaid as the tip of the bear's nose, and the 'handle' of the Big Dipper part of the constellation forming the outline of the top of the bear's head and neck, rearwards to the shoulder, potentially giving it the longer head and neck of a polar bear.[43]
Ursa Major as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825.
Johannes Hevelius drew Ursa Major as if being viewed from outside the celestial sphere.
Starry Night Over the Rhone by Vincent van Gogh.
Polaris and the Big Dipper on the flag of Alaska.
Ursa Major is also pictured as the Starry Plough, the Irish flag of Labour, adopted by James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army in 1916, which shows the constellation on a blue background; on the state flag of Alaska; and on the House of Bernadotte's variation of the coat of arms of Sweden. The seven stars on a red background of the flag of the Community of Madrid, Spain, may be the stars of the Plough asterism (or of Ursa Minor). The same can be said of the seven stars pictured in the bordure azure of the coat of arms of Madrid, capital of that country.
The most solidly 'reconstructed' Indo-European constellation is Ursa Major, which is designated as 'The Bear' (Chapter 9) in Greek and Sanskrit (Latin may be a borrowing here), although even the latter identification has been challenged.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ursa Major. |
Coordinates: 10h 40m 12s, +55° 22′ 48″
It's a good time to be a mythology nerd. The Norse gods Thor and Loki are major Hollywood hunks, Neil Gaiman's American Gods is coming to television, and it seems like it's far more socially acceptable to talk about Minotaurs and dragons than ever before. But if you're sick of seeing mythologically inaccurate gods and monsters on the big screen (I'm looking at you, Gods of Egypt), it never hurts to get back to basics and do some reading. So here are a few books about mythology to get you started.
Now, of course, most fans of the mythic and legendary enjoy their fair share of fantasy novels. Nearly every book about elves and witches has some basis in myth. But the mythology nerd is a particular specimen: it's not just about fantasy. Mythology nerds are interested in history, too, and theology, and the domestic spats between Zeus and Hera. They don't just get excited about wizard battles, they get excited about comparative religion and archaeology. Sure, Westeros or Hogwarts might take the edge off, but regular fantasy just doesn't cut it.
So if you (like me) are a nerd of mythic proportions, then you might enjoy some of these books, both fiction and fact, that delve into ancient myths from all over the world:
Let's start with the obvious. If you're a dork for mythology and you haven't read American Gods yet, it's time to fix that. Neil Gaiman's writing frequently weaves together ancient myths and modern culture, but American Gods is the most upfront about it. Our hero, Shadow Moon, travels across America, tangling with deities from a number of ancient religions as he finds himself pulled into a strange, divine war that pits old gods against new.
I know, I know—if you're a nerd for mythology, you probably know your Greek myths already. You know your Arachnes from your Ariadnes and all that. But Robert Graves gives a definitive overview of Greek mythology, retold for a modern audience with interpretations and illustrations. It'll give you all the ammunition you need to explain how the movie 300 got everything wrong on your next date.
Mary Renault is the reigning queen of thrilling, homoerotic, historically plausible retellings of Greek myths. The King Must Die gives us the real story of Theseus (or at least, a very possible version of it), and how he slew the 'Minotaur.' But of course, the truth behind the bull-head monster of Crete is far different from what you might think.
There have been several big-budget films about Egyptian mythology recently, and they've been.. less than accurate (casting ancient Egyptians with lily white actors, for example). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt is a much more fascinating, cohesive look at Egyptian mythology, written in modern language. It's perfect for throwing at film executives' heads, too, if you get the chance.
Margaret Atwood, in classic Margaret Atwood style, takes the oldest story out there and gives it a twist. Most of us know The Odyssey, and how Odysseus bummed around and made himself ten years late for dinner. But most of us don't know what his wife, Penelope, was really up to during that time. Atwood's version is a playful, disturbing, ultimately brilliant retelling.
Compared to some of the other ancient cultures, British mythology doesn't have quite so many animal-headed people running around. But they do have King Arthur, Merlin and Lancelot. The Once and Future King is quite possibly the best, most fun, and most touching version of the King Arthur story out there. T. H. White turns Arthurian legend into a novel that rivals any modern fantasy epic.
If you prefer your mythology with more of a modern YA vibe, then Rick Riordan is the obvious choice. The Lightning Thief is the first book in his Percy Jackson series, which follows a young demigod as he grapples with growing up, being the son of Poseidon, etc. It's a witty update of ancient deities and unspeakable monsters duking it out in the real world.
If you only read one graphic novel series about ancient Buddhist mythology, let it be this one. Osamu Tezuka is a wildly inventive visual storyteller, and his tale of young Siddhartha is nothing short of stunning. Unsatisfied with his life, Prince Siddhartha runs away from home and travels across India in a quest for enlightenment (but don't worry, there's still plenty of slapstick along with all the philosophy).
If you're a world mythology kind of person, intrigued by the psychology behind storytelling, then you need to meet Joseph Campbell. The Power of Myth makes ancient mythology relevant to our modern day existence. The Kennedy assassination, the Sumerian goddess Inanna, Han Solo—it's all related, and it's all endlessly fascinating.
The two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints is historical fiction with mythology threaded through. Each volume tells a different side of the Chinese Boxer Rebellion: in Boxers, a young boy is aided by ancient Chinese gods to defend his homeland. In Saints, a little girl calls on the spirit of Joan of Arc to guide her in protecting her Christian faith. Both sides are complex, and both draw on legends of the past to shape their future.
Images: Walt Disney Pictures