Key Points Ursa Major is a constellation, which is a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure. It is one of the most famous constellations in the night sky and is also known as the Great Bear. Ursa Major contains the asterism known as the Big Dipper, which is one of the most easily recognizable patterns in the sky. The Big Dipper's "pointer" stars can be used to find the North Star (Polaris), making it ... Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation in the Northern Sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear", referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa Minor, the lesser bear. [1] Find key facts about Ursa Major . Learn about its brightest stars, meteor showers, myths, and how it's used to tell time, direction, location. Ursa Major is the “Great Bear” and one of the traditional Greek constellations described in Ptolemy of Alexandria’s 2nd century compilation of 48 constellations. The Big Dipper is called the Northern Dipper in ancient China and the Wagon in ancient Mesopotamia.
