What is the Big Dipper?
The BIG DIPPER is the common name applied to
a constellation in the northern hemisphere, near the North Pole. It was
known to the ancient Greeks as the Bear and the Wagon and to the Romans
as Ursa Major (the great Bear). The seven brightest stars of the constellation
form the outline of a giant dipper.
The most famous star figure in the sky is
the Big Dipper. As famous as it is, however,
the Big Dipper itself is not a constellation.
It is only a part of the constellation of
Ursa Major, the Great Bear.
Other Names for the Big Dipper (Cultural):
The Big Bear
by the Romans and some Native Americans
The Drinking Gourd
by American slaves on the underground railroad
The Plough
by the English
The Saucepan by
the French
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to Link on Constellations
