Learning to find Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia and Dragon

Prepared by O. Malakhov

So, let's begin our acquaintance with the starry sky. Today we will get acquainted with the four constellations of the Northern sky: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor (with the famous Polar Star), Draco and Cassiopeia. All these constellations, due to their proximity to the North Pole of the world on European territory former USSR are non-setting. Those. they can be found in the starry sky on any day and at any time. The first steps should begin with the well-known “bucket” of the Big Dipper. Did you find it in the sky? If not, then to find it, remember that on summer evenings the “bucket” is located in the northwest, in autumn – in the north, in winter – in the northeast, in spring – directly overhead. Now pay attention to the two outermost stars of this “bucket” (see figure).

If you mentally draw a straight line through these two stars, then the first star, the brightness of which is comparable to the brightness of the stars in the “bucket” of the Big Dipper, will be the North Star, which belongs to the constellation Ursa Minor. Using the map presented in the figure, try to find the remaining stars of this constellation. If you are observing in an urban environment, then it will be difficult to see the stars of the “small dipper” (this is how the constellation Ursa Minor is unofficially called): they are not as bright as the stars of the “big dipper”, i.e. Ursa Major. For this it is better to have binoculars on hand. When you see the constellation Ursa Minor, you can try to find the constellation Cassiopeia. I don’t know about you, but for me it was initially associated with another “bucket”. It’s more like a “coffee pot.” So, look at the second-from-last star of the “bucket handle” of Ursa Major. This is the star next to which there is an asterisk barely visible to the naked eye. The bright star is named Mizar, and the one next to it is Alcor (here is the range of iconic Soviet telescopes for astronomy enthusiasts produced by the Novosibirsk Instrument-Making Plant (Refinery)). They say that if translated from Arabic, Mizar is a horse, and Alcor is a rider. Being familiar with Arabic I can’t confirm this, but we’ll trust the books.

So, Mizar has been found. Now draw a mental line from Mizar through North Star and then about the same distance. And you will surely see quite bright constellation in the form of the Latin letter W (see figure). This is Cassiopeia. It still looks a bit like a “coffee pot,” doesn’t it?

After Cassiopeia, we try to find the constellation Draco. As can be seen from the picture at the top of the page, it seems to extend between the “buckets” of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, going further towards Cepheus, Lyra, Hercules and Cygnus. We will talk about these constellations a little later, and, having gained basic experience in orienting in the starry sky, try to find the entire Draco constellation using the mentioned picture.

Now you should be able to easily find the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, and Draco in the sky.

Questions:
1. In what area of ​​the sky was the constellation Cassiopeia located during your observations?
2. In what area of ​​the sky was the “bucket” of the Big Dipper located?
3. Were you able to see Alcor with the naked eye?

As you know, the Big Dipper is the most important star pattern in the sky of the Earth's northern hemisphere. This bucket is usually called the Big one. But besides him there is also in heaven Small Bucket, which belongs to the constellation Ursa Minor. (Did you know that it includes the North Star?) It would be nice to know the position of the Little Dipper in the sky, because it is located near the celestial pole, and therefore can serve as an excellent landmark in the sky! Let's see how to find Ursa Minor in the sky and how this knowledge will help us in orientation.

What does the constellation Ursa Minor look like?

To learn how to find Ursa Minor in the sky, you first need to know what this small constellation looks like. Unlike the constellation Ursa Major, which is much larger than the Big Dipper, Ursa Minor consists almost entirely of the Little Dipper. You could even say that the Little Dipper is actually the constellation Ursa Minor. (A few more faint stars around and inside the bucket are of little interest to us.)

Therefore, the search for a constellation in the sky will be limited for us to the search for the Small Dipper. Here's what it looks like:

Constellation Ursa Minor on the map. Figure: IAU/Big Universe

In contrast to the correct and beautiful Big Dipper, this is a somewhat ridiculous design, isn’t it? The quadrangle of the bucket looks more like a box, and its handle curves strangely upward. If we remember that the ancient Greeks, who invented the constellation, it was not a handle, but a long, non-existent tail of a bear, then it even becomes funny: the bear’s tail is raised up like a mongrel’s!

Please note: Ursa Minor is not nearly as bright a constellation as Ursa Major. In truth, it has only three more or less bright stars. Therefore, to search for it in the sky you need a little experience and a bit of patience.

How to find Ursa Minor in the sky?

Now, imagining in general outline, what we are looking for, we can start searching.

The easiest way to find Ursa Minor is with the help of the North Star (aka α Ursa Minor), main star this constellation. Where is Polyarnaya? To see it, you must first find the Big Dipper.

Now, through the outermost stars in the Big Dipper - α and β Ursa Major - mentally draw a long, slightly curved line from the “bottom” of the bucket to its “hole” and beyond. Polaris is approximately five times the distance between the stars α and β of Ursa Major. It is approximately equal in brightness to these stars. This is an important point: The North Star is not the brightest star in the sky!

The constellation Ursa Minor is easiest to find by starting from its brightest star, Polaris. You should look for it along the continuation of the line connecting the outermost stars of the Big Dipper - Dubhe and Merak (see text). Pattern: Stellarium

The North Star marks the end of the handle of the Small Dipper; the ladle itself stretches from it towards the ladle of the Big Dipper. Remember that unlike the Big Bucket, the handle of the Small Bucket is curved reverse side.

The Small Bucket, like the Big Bucket, includes 7 stars. However, the stars of the Little Dipper vary greatly in brightness. Only its three brightest stars - α, β and γ - can be found in the overexposed city sky. North Star, aka α Ursa Minor, is located at the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper, and the stars Kohab(β Ursa Minor) and Ferkad(γ Ursa Minor) form the front wall of the bucket.

Small Bucket in the sky

The four other stars of the Little Bucket are so dim that they are not always visible in the city sky. This is probably why inexperienced astronomy lovers very often misrecognize the Small Dipper, managing to mistake even the tiny Pleiades dipper for it.

In urban light conditions, it is difficult to identify Ursa Minor. In the red sky, four of the seven stars of the Little Dipper are not visible. Only the North Star (above) and the Guardians of the Pole, the stars Kohab and Ferkad, remain. Pattern: Stellarium

However, once you have seen the Small Bucket at least once, you are unlikely to ever lose it. Why? It’s very simple: this figure is always, at any time of the year or day, located in approximately the same part of the sky. Unlike many constellations, it does not rise or set beyond the horizon. She doesn't even make circles like the Big Dipper.

The Small Dipper looks like a giant celestial arrow attached to the fixed Polar Star. This hand rotates, making a full revolution in exactly one day. (This distinguishes it from a regular clock hand, which makes a circle every 12 hours.) This means that the stars of Ursa Minor can be used to navigate time. Of course, if you know how.

The position of Ursa Minor in the evening sky depending on the time of year. Pattern: Big Universe

If we consider that the North Star helps to accurately determine the cardinal directions, then Ursa Minor turns out to be an extremely useful constellation!

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Click on the image to enlarge it Lat. name Ursa Minor (genus Ursae Minoris) Abbreviation UMi Symbol Little Bear Right ascension ... Wikipedia

- (lat. Ursa Minor) a circumpolar constellation, the brightest stars of which form a figure similar to a ladle. The extreme star of the bucket handle, Polaris, is located approx. North Pole... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Ursa Minor), the constellation in which the celestial North Pole is located. The brightest star is Alpha (Polar), indicating the location of the pole, a star of the 2nd magnitude. The seven main stars of the constellation make up a pattern that resembles... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

- (The lesser bear, Ursa minor) is a constellation located in the central part of the northern hemisphere, and one of its seven stars visible to the naked eye, α M. M. is called the Polar Star due to its extreme proximity to the celestial pole.... ... Marine Dictionary

Noun, number of synonyms: 3 arctos (2) constellation (121) cynosura (1) Dictionary of synonyms ... Dictionary of synonyms

Ursa Minor- Circumpolar constellation of the Northern Hemisphere, the brightest stars of which form a figure similar to a ladle. The extreme star of the bucket handle is Polaris. Take a closer look at starry sky and you will begin to understand what all this beauty is made of: here is the Big... ... Phrasebook Russian literary language

- (lat. Ursa Minor), a circumpolar constellation, the brightest stars of which form a figure similar to a ladle. The extreme star of the bucket handle, Polaris, is located near the North Pole of the world. * * * URSA MINOR URSA MINOR (lat. Ursa... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (lat. Ursa Minor) circumpolar constellation of the Northern hemisphere of the sky; the brightest stars α (Polar Star), β (Kokhab) and γ have a magnitude of 2.0; 2.0 and 3.0 visual magnitude (See. Magnitude). In M.M. currently... ... Big Soviet encyclopedia

- (lat. Ursa Minor) a circumpolar constellation, the brightest stars of which form a figure similar to a ladle. The extreme star of the bucket handle, Polaris, is located near the North Pole of the world... Astronomical Dictionary

Ursa Minor- Scarlet Bear unit (constellation) ... Russian spelling dictionary

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Ursa Minor is the constellation most popular among night sky lovers. The universe is full of surprises and unexpected discoveries. There is so much unknown in it!

The luminaries that are visible in the sky turn out to be a huge accumulation of gases, and the pattern of constellations takes on bizarre shapes. Is there anything similar or are they all unique?

It will be interesting for children and their parents to watch the night sky, and before that learn a lot about the secrets of the world.

What does the constellation Ursa Minor look like?

The Little Dipper is located next to the Big Dipper and forms a small bucket. By connecting all the stars included in it with a line, you get the same vessel familiar from childhood.

The cluster itself celestial bodies Quite dim and easier to find in dark skies.

To see this constellation with the naked eye, you need to find the North Star, which, due to its size and brightness, will be the first to catch your eye.

The brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor

The brightest point in the sky appears so only to human eyes. In fact, there are many brighter objects. However, the North Star shines more spectacularly than the others. It is a supergiant and has two satellites.

The star itself is central, and its brightness exceeds the capabilities of the Sun by 2000 times. The existence of a second satellite became known not so long ago due to its size. The dwarf satellite has not been visible to the photographic lenses of telescopes from Earth for many years.

Names of stars in the constellation Ursa Minor

The constellation is formed from several parts. They are inferior in brightness to their neighbors from the Big Dipper, but are nevertheless clearly visible in a clear sky.

Four of them have their own names, the rest are named by letters of the Greek alphabet:

  1. Alpha. The first in the constellation, also called Polaris. The brightest in the night sky.
  2. Beta. Another name is Kohab. The second brightest in a cluster of stars. It has a satellite and is an orange giant.
  3. Gamma is Ferkad. Beta and Gamma constellations are translated from Arabic as “two calves.”
  4. Delta, Epsilon, Zita and Ita do not have special names.

All of them are more than 400 light years away from Earth.

How to find Ursa Minor from Ursa Major

Here's a little instruction:

  1. Choose a night with cloudless weather. In a clear sky it is much easier to find the dim lights of Ursa Minor. It is better to choose a place without artificial lighting. IN big cities This is difficult to find, so you can drive further to the outskirts.
  2. Find the Big Dipper in the sky. It is difficult to confuse it with something else, since due to its relatively close distance to Earth, the stars in this constellation shine brighter than others. It is shaped like a trapezoid with a long handle.
  3. Find the North Star. It is located further north than Ursa Major, and is the extreme point in Ursa Minor.
  4. This is what we were looking for. From the handle of the bucket, mentally move your gaze to the bucket itself and the entire constellation will be before your eyes.

How to find the North Star in the sky

The easiest way to locate the North Star is by Ursa Major. The brightly burning parts of this constellation can be seen all year round in Russia and a number of other countries in the northern hemisphere. They are a big bucket.

From the extreme points that draw his image, you need to mentally draw a line that is five times longer than the length between this segment.

Another way to find a Cepheid is to use a compass. The North Star is a guiding star for travelers. She directed them to the North Pole.

Observing the luminary, you can see that it is the only one that does not change position. As the night progresses, all the constellations move across the night sky, and it freezes motionless over the North Pole.

Why were the constellations called Ursa?

The appearance of the constellations does not even remotely resemble either a brown or a white animal. Then why weren’t they called “ladles”? It is believed that the name came from the Greeks, who knew about its close location to the North Pole.

A map was a great luxury, so we navigated by the sky. Their assumption, even in 545 BC, turned out to be true.

Who is the main inhabitant of the North Pole? Of course, a bear. This is where the name of two constellations located near the northernmost point of the planet came from.

Myths and legends about Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

The existence of constellations has been known for a very long time. Even before our era, they were guides for travelers. However, to the ancient Greeks they were more than just bright spots in the sky.

According to myths, the thunder god Zeus once had a secret lover. The story goes that she was famous for her unearthly beauty and attracted the gaze of all men. Her name was Callisto.

One day a girl broke the rules, her little mistake cost her dearly. She was turned into a terrible bear. Zeus, deciding to protect the beauty, threw her into the sky, and tried so hard that he stretched her tail. That is why it is now so long at the Big Dipper.

The girl's faithful companion was her dog, which was turned into a bear cub that followed her to heaven. The tale was common among the ancient Greeks.

The expanses of the starry sky can show many unusual things. You can even learn a lot of interesting things about the familiar bears. How many more unknown constellations are hidden in the vastness of space? Knowledge opens a window to a person into the world of our Universe.

One of the most famous constellations is Ursa Minor. It is small in size and has no bright stars. Where is Ursa Minor located and is it important? This cluster of stars is located near the north pole. For many centuries it played important role in astronomy, navigation and more.

Origin of the constellation

The constellation is one of the oldest star clusters, making it difficult to determine its exact origin. In ancient writings, Homer mentions Ursa Major, but information about Ursa Minor was recorded later, around the seventh century BC. In his writings, Strabo wrote that in the era of Homer, most likely, there was no Ursa Minor, since this group of stars was not yet known until the Phoenicians began to use them for navigation.

Astronomers suggest that previously people did not know where Ursa Minor was located and had no idea about its existence. It was placed in a separate constellation only because of its close location to the north pole. Ursa Minor is the easiest way to navigate. It was introduced into astronomy around the year six hundred BC by F. Miletus.

Myths and legends

There are legends and myths about the constellation. The first myth says that Rhea’s own mother hid the baby from father Kronos, who, because of the prophecy, killed all his children. When Zeus was born, his mother placed a stone in his place, thus deceiving Kronos. She hid the baby in a cave, where he was nursed by two she-bears, Helis and Melissa, who were later taken to heaven. And when Zeus grew up, he overthrew his father and freed his brothers and sisters. They all became Olympian gods.

Another legend speaks of Callisto, daughter of Lycaon, ruler of Arkadi. The legend says that the queen had an unusual beauty that delighted Zeus. He took the guise of the huntress goddess Artemis, whom Callisto served. Zeus penetrated the girl, and her son Arkan was born. Zeus' wife Hera found out about this and turned Callisto into a bear. Years later, Arkan grew up. One day, while going hunting, he saw and walked along it, suspecting nothing. I wanted to kill the beast. But Zeus did not allow this to happen and turned his son also into a bear: he transferred Callisto and Arkan to heaven. This act angered Hera. She met with Poseidon and asked not to let her husband’s mistress and her child into her kingdom. Because of this, Ursa Minor and Ursa Major never go beyond the horizon.

Constellation location

Where is Ursa Minor and how to find it? Before you try to find a constellation in the sky, you should know what it looks like. Main part constellations are a bucket. It is not as visible in the sky as the Big Dipper.

To find all the stars in a constellation, you must first find Ursa Major. An imaginary vertical line with a slight bend is drawn through the outer stars of the bucket. Then it is extended upward by five similar segments. The line will lead to the North Star. It is bright and is the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. What's next? Where is Ursa Minor and where to go from the North Star? Then from the North Star you need to move towards the Big Dipper, which is where the bucket itself is located. Unlike the Big Dipper, the handle of the Little Dipper is curved in the opposite direction. Now it has become clear where Ursa Minor is located in relation to the Big Dipper.

The main thing is not to confuse

This constellation, like the Bolshoi constellation, has seven stars, but they are not so bright. Three objects are the brightest, while the other four are not always visible in the night sky. Because of this feature, many who like to look through a telescope often incorrectly identify the bucket. They manage to mistake the Pleiades dipper for Ursa Minor. Knowing where Ursa Minor is, and if you find it at least once, it is unlikely that you will ever lose sight of it.

The brightest stars of the bucket

To find out where Ursa Minor is located, you need to learn to identify the North Star. How to find it is discussed above.

The Small Bucket is formed by the following stars:

  • Beta or Kohab;
  • Gamma or Ferkad;
  • Yildun;
  • Polar.

There are other stars that form the scoop and handle.

The North Star will tell you where the constellation Ursa Minor is located. This is the brightest star, comparable in brilliance to the objects of the Big Dipper. By the way, in the list of the brightest stars it ranks only 48th, and it is not the brightest, as people far from astronomy believe. The North Star can be called a nail, which is motionless in the night sky, and around which all other stars move.

The next star is Kohab or Beta. It is similar in brilliance to Polar. Kohab glows with an orange glow. This star is cooler than our Sun, and is forty times larger in size.

Ferkab is another giant among the stars. It is hotter than Kohab and Polar Star, but is several times inferior in brilliance.

All stars of the constellation

Ferkab, Kohab and Polaris are the brightest stars of Ursa Minor, which are always visible. There are forty-seven objects in the constellation, but only seven can be seen with the naked eye, and only in good weather. Usually only three stars are visible.

Seven stars create a scoop and handle, using them you can quickly and easily determine where Ursa Minor is located in the sky. The remaining forty stars are not taken into account by amateurs. However, if all these stars are connected with lines, you get a schematic image of a bear, although some argue that it looks more like a dog. For your information, the ancient Greeks called the North Star Cynosura, which translated means the tail of a dog. Maybe they also schematically connected the stars into constellations and saw a cute dog in the drawing? The answer to this question will remain a mystery for astronomers and scientists around the world.