What Is Ursa Minor? About The Constellation

What Is Ursa Minor? About The Constellation

URSA MINOR – In this topic, we are going to know and learn about the constellation in the northern sky, the Ursa Minor.

URSA MINOR
Image from: Star Registration

As mentioned, it is a constellation which lies in the northern sky. The term is Latin for “the smaller bear,” or “the lesser bear”.

It’s neighbor, the Ursa Major, represents the Great Bear constellation. The Ursa Minor was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century and is easy to recognize due to its well-known Little Dipper asterism.

It is also known for marking the location of the north celestial pole since it is also home to the North Star Polaris, which can be found at the end of the dipper’s handle.

The constellation, according to Constellation Guide, was said to have been created by Thales of Miletus, who is known as one of the Seven Sages of Greece.

It is also said that Thales introduced the constellation to the Greeks and believed to be descended from a Phoenician family since Phoenicians  frequently used Ursa Minor in navigation because it is an excellent guide to true north, hence, it was also known by Greeks as the Phoenician. It was formerly known as Dog’s Tail, or Cynosura in Greek.

The constellation belongs to the Ursa Major family of constellations, which includes Coma Berenices, Boötes, Camelopardalis, Canes Venatici, Corona Borealis, Draco, Leo Minor, Lynx, and Ursa Major.

It contains one star with  confirmed planet and has no Messier objects. Polaris, as mentioned above, is its brightest star. It also has one meteor shower associated with it known as the Ursids.

The constellation contains five named stars, namely: Baekdu, Kochab, Pherkad, Polaris, and Yildun.

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