home biology tutor What is the brightest star in Ursa Major? The brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major add your price to the comment base. R Ursa Major

What is the brightest star in Ursa Major? The brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major add your price to the comment base. R Ursa Major

Big Dipper- constellation of the northern hemisphere of the sky. The seven stars of Ursa Major make up a figure resembling a ladle with a handle. The two brightest stars, Aliot and Dubhe, have magnitudes of 1.8 apparent magnitudes. According to the two extreme stars of this figure (α and β), you can find the Polar Star. The best visibility conditions are in March-April. Visible throughout Russia all year round(with the exception of the autumn months in southern Russia, when Ursa Major descends low to the horizon).

There are about 125 stars in the constellation, but only seven are called the largest and brightest: Dubhe, Merak, Fekda, Megrets, Aliot, Mizar and Alkaid. Between themselves, they form a bucket, which is visible to the naked eye.

The legend of the appearance of the constellation

In distant Greenland there is also a legend in which the constellation Ursa Major appears. The mythology and history of this cluster is quite popular. But one story has gained the greatest popularity among the Eskimos, about which absolutely everyone tells. It has even been suggested that this legend is not fiction, but the purest truth. In a snowy house, on the very edge of Greenland, lived the great hunter Eriulok. He lived in a hut alone, as he was arrogant, considering himself the best in his field. Therefore, he did not want to communicate with his other compatriots. For many years in a row he went to sea and always returned with rich booty. In his house there was always a lot of food, seal fat, and the walls of his dwelling were decorated with the best skins of walruses, seals and seals.

Eriulok was rich, well-fed, but lonely. And loneliness over time began to burden the great hunter. He tried to make friends with his fellow Eskimos, but they did not want to deal with an arrogant relative. Apparently, he offended them greatly at the time. In desperation, Eriulok went to the Arctic Ocean and called the mistress of the sea depths, the goddess Arnarkuachssak. He told her about himself and his trouble. The goddess promised to help, but in return, Eriulok had to bring her a ladle with magical berries that would restore youth to the goddess. The hunter agreed and went to a distant island, found a cave guarded by a bear. After much torment, he put the forest animal to sleep and stole a ladle of berries. The goddess did not deceive the hunter and gave him a wife, and in return received magical berries.

After all the adventures, Eriulok got married and became the father of a large family, to the envy of all the neighbors in the area. As for the goddess, she ate all the berries, rejuvenated by a couple of hundred centuries, and joyfully threw an empty bucket into the sky, where he, clinging to something, remained hanging.

Stars and asterisms

Ursa Major is the third largest constellation (after Hydra and Virgo), whose seven bright stars form the famous Big Bucket; this asterism has been known since antiquity among many peoples under different names: the Rocker, the Plow, the Elk, the Wagon, the Seven Wise Men, etc. All the stars of the Bucket have their own Arabic names:

Dubhe(α Ursa Major) means "bear";
Merak(β) - "lower back";
Fekda(γ) - "thigh";
Megrets(δ) - "the beginning of the tail";
Aliot(ε) - the meaning is not clear (but, most likely, this name means "fat tail");
Mizar(ζ) - "sash" or "loincloth".
The last star in the bucket handle is called Benetnash or Alkaid(η); in Arabic, "al-Qaeed banat ours" means "the leader of the mourners." This poetic image is taken from the Arab folk interpretation of the constellation Ursa Major.

In the star designation system Greek letters the order of the letters simply corresponds to the order of the stars.

Another interpretation of asterism is reflected in the alternative name Hearse and Wailers. Here, asterism is thought of as a funeral procession: in front of the mourners, led by a leader, behind them are a funeral stretcher. This explains the name of the star η Ursa Major "the leader of the mourners."

Bucket inner stars

5 inner stars of the Bucket (except for the extreme α and η) really belong to a single group in space - the moving cluster Ursa Major, which moves quite quickly across the sky; Dubhe and Benetnash are moving in the opposite direction, so the shape of the Dipper changes significantly in about 100,000 years.

Stars Merak and Dubhe

They form the wall of the Bucket, are called pointers, since the straight line drawn through them rests on the North Star (in the constellation Ursa Minor). Six stars of the Bucket have a shine of the 2nd magnitude, and only Megrets is of the 3rd magnitude.

Alcor

Next to Mizar, which was the second among those discovered in a telescope double stars(Giovanni Riccioli in 1650; as of the early 2000s, it was probably observed as a double as early as 1617 by Galileo). A keen eye sees a star of magnitude 4 Alcor (80 Ursa Major), which in Arabic means “forgotten”, or “insignificant”. It is believed that the ability to distinguish the star Alcor has been a recognized test of vigilance since ancient times. The pair of stars Mizar and Alcor is often interpreted as an asterism " horse and rider».

Three gazelle jumps

Peculiar asterism Three gazelle jumps of Arabic origin consists of three pairs of closely spaced stars, and the pairs are on the same straight line and separated by equal distances. Associated with hoofprints of a gazelle moving by jumps. Includes stars:

Alula North and Alula South (v and ξ, first jump),
Taniya North and Taniya South (λ and μ, second jump),
Talita North and Talita South (ι and κ, third jump).

Arcturus

Aliot, Mizar and Benetnash form an extended arc that points to Arcturus, the brightest star north of the celestial equator, and also the brightest star visible in the spring in the mid-latitudes of Russia. As this arc extends further south, it points to Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.

Lalande 21185

A red dwarf located in the Alula Severnaya region and inaccessible to observations naked eye, is one of the star systems closest to the Earth, closer to it are only Alpha Centauri, Barnard's star and Wolf 359. The Groombridge 1830 star is also accessible to observations through binoculars, which in its own motion is second only to Barnard's star and Kapteyn's star, in a hundred years it shifts approximately one third of the lunar disk.

Constellation legends. Star of Dubhe

There are a huge number of legends and tales about the cluster of luminaries Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The following belief goes about the brightest star Dubhe from the constellation Ursa Major. The daughter of King Lycaon, the beautiful Callisto was one of the huntresses of the goddess Artemis. The almighty Zeus fell in love with Callisto, and she gave birth to the boy Arkas. For this, the jealous wife of Zeus, Hera, turned Callisto into a bear. When Arkas grew up and became a hunter, he attacked the trail of a bear and was already preparing to hit the beast with an arrow. Zeus, seeing what was happening, did not allow the murder. It was he who turned Arkas into a smaller bear. The ruler of heaven placed them in the sky so that mother and son would always remain together.

Ursa Major ranks third among the constellations in terms of area, but unusually few variable stars have been found there - for 2011 it is not included in the top ten constellations in this indicator.

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field was imaged in a region one-twelfth the size of the lunar disk near the star Megrets. As of 2011, this is one of the most detailed images of the starry sky, allowing you to distinguish between many galaxies billions of light years away from Earth.
Scars in the shape of the constellation Ursa Major on the chest are worn by the character of the popular in many countries anime and manga Hokuto No Ken, Kenshiro. AT this moment available in the official Russian translation is only an independent three-part novella "Fist of the North Star: A New Era".
The world's first cryonics company is named after a star from the constellation Ursa Major.
Soviet archaeologist and historian, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Rybakov B.A. in his well-known work he wrote: “The most important constellation of our northern hemisphere - Ursa Major - in the Russian North was called “Elk”, “Prongs” ... The Poles call the North Star the “Elk Star” (Gwiazda Łosiowa). Among the Evenks, the constellation Ursa Major (Ursus Major) is called "Moose Heglen".
In the animated series "Gravity Falls" on the forehead of the main character Dipper Pines there is a birthmark in the form of this constellation. Because of him, he got the nickname Dipper ( dipper from English - ladle, and the constellation Ursa Major is sometimes called the Big Dipper).

coming constellation Big Dipper. I am sure it will not sound loud that this constellation is the most recognizable in the entire northern hemisphere due to its 7 bright stars, shaped like a bucket.

Legend and history

The name of the constellation was in honor of the nymph Callisto. There are many different legends. One of them has the following content.

According to ancient Greek legend, Zeus saw a beautiful girl, the nymph Callisto, and fell in love with her. Callisto was one of the virgins who accompanied the goddess Diana the hunter. Zeus took the form of Diana and became close to Callisto. Seeing this, the real Diana sent her away from her eyes. Hera, the wife of Zeus, having learned about such an act, turned the nymph into a bear. The son of Callisto, Arkad, when he grew up, met his mother. But he did not recognize her in the form of a bear. Zeus, fearing that his son would kill his mother, placed both of them in the sky in the form of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. But even in the sky, Callisto did not know peace. Hera begged the gods not to allow the she-bear to plunge into the ocean. Since then, the bear nymph has been circling the sky without setting below the horizon.

Ursa Major is one of the most ancient constellations of the starry sky. It has the same name among the Slavs, Indians, Greeks. Included in the starry sky catalog of Claudius Ptolemy "Almagest".

The seven stars of the Big Dipper make up a figure that forms an asterism bucket with a handle. But this is only a small part of the constellation itself.

Characteristics

Latin name	Ursa Major
Reduction	UMa
Square	1280 sq. degrees (3rd place)
right ascension	From 7 h 58 m to 14 h 25 m
declination	From +29° to +73° 30′
The brightest stars< 3 m)
Number of stars brighter than 6 m	125
meteor showers	Ursids
neighboring constellations
constellation visibility	+90° to −16°
Hemisphere	Northern
Time for observation on the territory Belarus, Russia and Ukraine	March

The most interesting objects to observe in the constellation Ursa Major

Constellation Ursa Major

1. Planetary nebula "Owl" (M 97)

With a mass of only 0.15 solar, it has a brightness of 9.9 m. It got its name in connection with the similarity with the eyes of an owl. It can only be detected with a professional telescope in good weather conditions. According to scientists, the age is about 6 thousand years. It is located on the bottom of the Ursa Major bowl:

The search for the planetary nebula "Owl"

2. Optically double star M 40

Charles Messier in the 18th century was looking for a nebula that Jan Hevelia mistakenly described, but in its place he discovered a faint double star. It was decided to catalog it under the serial number 40 ( M40). These are two stars with a brightness of 9 m and 9.3 m. As calculations show, this is an optical binary star, that is, both stars are not connected to each other in any way, but are located close along the line of sight. The location in the sky relative to the bucket is shown below:

3. Spiral galaxy M 101

Popularly a spiral galaxy M 101 nicknamed "Pinwheel". Has a brightness of 7.7 m. It cannot be observed through binoculars, due to the weak surface brightness. No matter how hard I tried, it didn't work. But already in amateur telescopes, you can see the bright central part. The photograph shows that M 101 asymmetric: the nucleus of the galaxy is far from the center of the disk. This galaxy has been well studied by scientists: it was observed in 1909, 1951 and 1970.

On the starry sky it is not difficult to find, and often beginners begin to practice with it.

Spiral Galaxy "Pinwheel" (M 101)

4. Spiral galaxy M 108

A galaxy that can be found in semi-professional or professional telescopes. As a rule, it is searched for in tandem with the planetary nebula "Owl" (2), due to its close location. Has a brightness of 10.0 m .

5 Spiral Galaxy M 109

In some sources you can find its other name - "Vacuum cleaner". It is located not far from the gamma Ursa Major, and, despite the fact that it has a brightness of only 9.8 m, you can try to find it with a telescope. M 109 has at least three satellite galaxies of its own. Taking the star Fad (Fekda) as a reference point, we move smoothly and slowly to the west - after a few seconds we try to recognize and detect the desired galaxy:

M 109 or Galaxy "Vacuum Cleaner"

6. Pair of galaxies M 81 and M 82

Two adjacent galaxies M 81 and M 82

Probably the most key objects to observe in the constellation Ursa Major. First, they are not hard to find; secondly, both have an accessible magnitude for observation even in amateur telescopes: 6.9 m and 8.4 m, respectively; thirdly, with close proximity to each other at a small magnification, they can be seen simultaneously in the telescope lens, approximately, as shown in the photo above. An example search route is shown below:

Above the Bode Nebula is the Cigar Galaxy

Considering both galaxies separately, it is worth adding that M81 or the Bode Nebula is a beautiful spiral galaxy. She deforms her "neighbor" gravitational field. Thanks to the Hubble telescope, it was possible to study 32 variable stars inside M81.

Galaxy M 82 or "Cigar" has irregular shape(refers to) and weaker compared to M81. Inside it is active star formation. At the center of the galaxy is a supermassive

Deep shot of the constellation Ursa Major

The constellation Ursa Major is one of largest constellations in area, third after Hydra and Virgo. More than 200 stars belong to this section of the sky, and up to 125 stars of them can be distinguished with the naked eye, on a moonless night far beyond the city.

However, the constellation Ursa Major has become the most recognizable thanks to a group of seven stars that form the so-called. Big Bucket. Such easily distinguishable groups of stars are called "asterisms".

Since initially given area the sky was associated in people only with the asterism Big Dipper, then most of the existing names were appropriate:

The ancient Greeks called the constellation "Helika", which means "shell", sometimes "Arktos" - "bear" or "bear". According to some Greek authors, Ursa Major served the ancient Greeks as a navigator. According to Greek myth Zeus turned two Cretan nymphs into bears in order to hide from Kronos. According to another version - the nymph Callisto, to hide from his sister and wife - Hera.
The Indian (in Sanskrit) name of the constellation sounds like "Sapta Rishi", which means "seven wise men". We are talking about the seven sons of the god Brahma, who are considered the progenitors of all, as well as the actual creators of the universe. In Indian astronomy, seven stars of the Big Dipper are called by the names of the sages.
The Kazakh nomads called the constellation "Seven Thieves" (Zhetіқaraқshy). According to legend, Tengri, the supreme deity of the sky, tied two of his horses to an Iron peg. Here, the Iron stake (“Temirkazyk”) is, and the horses are two stars close to it (probably Polar A and Polar B). Then the seven stars of the Big Dipper are robbers who intend to steal horses, and therefore they constantly circle around them.
Chinese astronomers called the constellation "Northern Dipper" ("Beidou"), since in those days the handle of the Big Dipper pointed almost to the north pole.
In Slavic culture, this constellation was called "Moose", as it was originally associated with this animal. AT Ancient Russia The Big Dipper was also called the "Horse on the Joy", where the Big Dipper, like a horse, pinned to the North Star, constantly moves around it - around the joke.

Stars of the Big Dipper

"Ladle" Ursa Major

The Big Dipper is formed by the following seven stars:

It is noteworthy that the Big Dipper asterism has another name - "Hearse and Wailers". According to this idea, three stars form mourners, led by a leader (“Al-Qaeed Banat is ours”), behind whom a funeral stretcher moves.

On average, the stars that form the Big Dipper are located at a distance of 120 light-years from Earth. These luminaries are not the brightest in our sky, their average magnitude is close to 2m. However, it will not be difficult for almost everyone to find them in the sky.

Allocate the so-called moving group Ursa Major, the core of which consists of 14 stars. 13 of them are included in the constellation Ursa Major, and 5 are in the Big Dipper (Merak, Fekda, Megrets, Aliot and Mizar). Unlike the stars of this group, which move at a similar speed in one direction, the other two stars of the Dipper (Dubhe and Benetnash) move in the opposite direction, as a result of which the shape of the Big Dipper undergoes noticeable deformation over 100,000 years.

It is worth saying that in 2009 a new study found that in fact Mizar and Alcor is a sixfold system, where the double luminaries Mizar A and B revolve around the binary star Alcor. Do not be surprised, they are often born in pairs, and in clusters.

Other objects of Ursa Major

In addition to the Big Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Major, you can also observe an asterism called "Three Gazelle Jumps", which looks like three pairs of stars. It's about about the following couples:

Alula North South (ν and ξ),
Taniya North and South (λ and μ),
Talita North and South (ι and κ).

Near Alupa Severnaya is a red dwarf called Lalande 21185, which is elusive to observe with the naked eye. However, it is the sixth closest star system to the Sun. Closer than the stars Sirius A and B.

Observational astronomers are well aware that this constellation contains the galaxy M101 (called the Pinwheel), as well as the galaxies M81 and M82. The latter two form the core of what is probably the nearest group of galaxies, located at a distance of about 7 million light years. Unlike these distant objects, the astronomical body M 97 ("Owl") is located within Milky Way, hundreds of times closer. The Owl is one of the largest planetary nebulae.

In the middle, between the first and second "gazelle jump", with the help of optics, you can see a small yellow dwarf, similar to our Sun at number 47. From 2000 to 2010, scientists discovered three exoplanets, gas giants, revolving around it. Also, this star system is one of the most similar solar system and ranked 72nd on the list of candidates for the search for planets like Earth, conducted as part of the planned NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder mission. So for an astronomy lover, the constellation is of great interest.

In 2013 and 2016, two of the most distant galaxies from us were discovered in the constellation, respectively z8 GND 5296 and GN-z11. The light of these galaxies, recorded by scientists, was 13.02 (z8 GND 5296) and 13.4 (GN-z11) billion years.

Among non-astronomical facts, it is worth noting that the Big Dipper is depicted on the flag of the White Sea Karelia, and on the flag of Alaska - along with the polar star.

Flag of Alaska (left) and White Sea Karelia (right)

List of constellations in the spring sky
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Ursa Major is a constellation with which schoolchildren get acquainted in the 2nd grade, taking the course "The world around us".

It is important for children to learn how to find the star "bucket" in the night sky, because the constellation is a reference point for searching for many other celestial objects.

Description of the constellation Ursa Major

Ursa Major (Ursa Major) is the 3rd largest constellation in the northern hemisphere. The common name for the celestial object is the Big Dipper, since the seven main stars form a figure that looks like a bucket with a long handle.

On the territory of Eastern Europe and all of Russia, the object is observed throughout the year(the exception is autumn in the southern regions of Russia, when the constellation is too low above the horizon). The best visibility is in early spring.

The Big Dipper has been known to mankind since ancient times, and is significant in many cultures. The constellation is mentioned in the Bible and Homer's story "The Odyssey", its description is in the writings of Ptolemy.

The ancient peoples associated the star figure with a camel, a plow, a boat, a sickle, a basket. In Germany, the constellation is called the Great Basket, in China - the Imperial Chariot, in the Netherlands - the Pan, in Arab countries- Grave of the Mourners.

How many stars are in the constellation Ursa Major? There are seven in total, and they are all in different countries have interesting names. The inhabitants of Mongolia call them the Seven Gods, the Hindus - the Seven Wise Men.

In the representation of the American Indians, the three stars that form the "dipper handle" are three hunters chasing a bear. Alpha and beta constellations are also called "pointers", because with the help of these stars it is easy to find the North Star.

Bucket of the Big Dipper in autumn, winter, spring, summer

At different times of the year, the position of the "bear" is not the same relative to the horizon. For better orientation, use a compass.

On a clear spring night, a cluster of stars is directly above the observer. From mid-April, the "bucket" begins to move west. During the summer, the constellation gradually moves to the northwest, descends. In the last days of August, the stars can be seen in the north, as low as possible above the horizon.

On the autumn sky notice how the constellation slowly rises, behind winter months it, as you can see in the diagram below, moving to the northeast, again rises to the spring as high as possible above the horizon.

To quickly find the constellation, you should remember that in summer it is located in the northwest, in autumn - in the north, in winter - in the northeast, in spring - directly above the observer.

Depending on the time of day, the position of the star figure changes relative not only to the vault of heaven, but also to its own axis. The image below shows that in the evening in January-February, the "ladle" is in the northeast (in the picture on the right), and its "handle" is directed downwards.

During the night, the constellation passes a semicircle, in the morning it reaches the northwest (in the picture on the left), and the "handle" rushes up.

In July-August, daily changes are opposite. The same contrast is noted in the spring and autumn months.

The position of the constellation in the sky is characterized by a daily change, specific for each season of the year.

Stars of Ursa Major

Answering the question, how many stars are in the Big Dipper, indicate the 7 most noticeable points. This seven forms the same “bucket”, which is clearly visible in the night sky.

But in reality, the constellation is larger, consists of more points. Stars of lesser brightness form the legs and muzzle of the "bear".

The seven main stars that make up the constellation include:

Dubhe("bear") - the alpha of the constellation, the second most intense glow. One of two signposts to the North Pole. A red giant that is 125 light years away from Earth.
Merak(translated as "loin") - a beta star, the second pointer to the North Pole. The object is about 80 light-years distant from Earth, slightly larger than the Sun, and emits a powerful stream of infrared radiation.
Fekda("thigh") - gamma, a dwarf star located at a distance of just under 85 light-years from our planet.
Megrets(from Arabic "base") - delta, a blue dwarf, more than 80 light-years from Earth. The object is so named because it is the base of the long tail of the "heavenly beast".
Aliot("tail") - epsilon, the brightest point of the constellation, is in 31st place in terms of the luminosity of objects visible in the sky (magnitude 1.8). White star, luminosity 108 times higher than that of the Sun. One of 57 celestial objects used in navigation.
Mizar(from Arabic "belt") - a zeta star, the fourth brightest in the "bucket". The star is double, there is a less bright companion - Alcor.
Alkaid("leader") or Benetnash ("crying") - this star, the third in luminosity, the end of the "bear's tail". Blue dwarf, distance - 100 light years from our planet.

The total number of objects in the constellation is about 125.

Of these, three pairs of stars located on the same line, located at a short distance from each other, should be noted:

Alula Borealis (nude constellation) and Alula Australis (xi);
Thania Borealis (lambda) and Thania Australis (mu);
Talita Borealis (iota) and Talita Australis (kappa).

These three pairs are also known as the three gazelle jumps and are located at the bottom of the star cluster on the map below.

The figure shows the location of the main seven stars and objects of the Talita, Thania and Alula groups.

Legend of the Big Dipper

Exist ancient greek myth, by which you can understand why the constellation Ursa Major is so called.

Callisto, heiress of King Lycaon, was one of the most beautiful nymphs who served Artemis. Zeus turned his gaze to the beauty. He took the form of Artemis and seduced the girl. The goddess got angry when she noticed in the bath that her beloved nymph was pregnant and drove her away. The unfortunate Callisto went to the mountains, where she gave birth to her son Arkas.

But the misadventures of the nymph did not stop there. Hera, the wife of the seductive god, found out about Arkas, the illegitimate son of Zeus, and in revenge turned her rival into a bear. As an adult, Arkas took up hunting. Once in the mountains, he ran into a bear, but he could not even think what was in front of him. own mother. The young man wanted to shoot an arrow at the beast, but Zeus stopped him.

The main god did not allow the son to commit a terrible act, but could not break the curse given by the Hero. Taking pity on the unfortunate Callisto, Zeus turned her and his son into stars and sent them to heaven. So the Big Dipper appeared in the sky, and next to it was the son - the Little Dipper.

How to find the Big Dipper in the sky

In the temperate zone of Russia, the "bear" refers to non-setting constellations, as it is located near North Pole. Finding a "bucket" in the sky in the evening and at night is not difficult. It is enough to see a star cluster once to remember what it looks like.

Below in the photo you can see what a "bucket" might look like in the night sky.

For those living at the latitude of Moscow, it is best to observe the star cluster on an April night. In the time interval between 23 and 24 hours, the "ladle" will be at its zenith. The observer will only have to build a figure by points.

If it’s not April outside the window, then you should look for the “bear” in other areas of the sky:

January-February - northeast, angle above the horizon 30 - 70 °, the figure is located vertically;
March - east, angle 50 - 80 °, the figure is almost vertical;
May - west, 60 - 90 °, the "ladle" is tilted down by 60 - 80 °;
June-July - northwest, elevation above the horizon 40 - 70 °, tilt of the figure down 20 - 60 °;
August-September - northwest (closer to the north), 20 - 50 °, the figure is parallel to the horizon;
October - north, angle 20 - 30 °, the "ladle" is tilted upwards by 10 - 30 °;
November-December - northeast (closer to the north), 20 - 40 °, the figure is tilted upwards by 30 - 80 °.

After getting acquainted with the Big Dipper, the possibilities of studying the starry sky are significantly expanded. The North Star is the first thing that can be found, knowing the location of the large "bucket". And the Polar (alpha star Ursa Minor) is the main celestial landmark in the cardinal points.

Probably every adult remembers a wonderful lullaby from the old Soviet cartoon about Umka. It was she who first showed the constellation Ursa Major to small viewers. Thanks to this cartoon, many people became interested in astronomy, they wanted to find out more about this strangely named collection of bright planets.

The constellation Ursa Major is an asterism of the northern hemisphere of the sky, which has a huge number of names that have come down to us from antiquity: Elk, Plow, Seven Wise Men, Wagon and others. This collection of bright celestial bodies is the third largest galaxy in the entire sky. The most interesting thing is that some parts of the "bucket", which is part of the constellation Ursa Major, are visible all year round.

It is precisely because of its characteristic disposition and brightness that this galaxy is well recognizable. The constellation consists of seven stars that have Arabic names, but Greek designations.

Stars in the constellation Ursa Major

Designation	Name	Interpretation

		Small of the back

		tail start
		Name origin unknown
		Loincloth
	Benetnash (Alkaid)	leader of the mourners

There are a huge variety of theories about the origin of the constellation Ursa Major.

The first legend is connected with Eden. A long time ago, the nymph Callisto lived in the world - the daughter of Lycaon and the assistant of the goddess Artemis. Her beauty was legendary. Even Zeus himself could not resist her charms. The union of a god and a nymph led to the birth of a son, Arkas. Enraged, Hera turned Callisto into a bear. During one of the hunts, Arkas almost killed his mother, but Zeus saved her in time, sending her to heaven. He also moved his son there, turning him into the constellation Ursa Minor.

The second legend is connected directly with Zeus. According to legend, the ancient Greek titan Kronos destroyed each of his heirs, for it was predicted to him that one of them would overthrow him from the throne. However, Rhea - the mother of Zeus - decided to save the life of her child and hid him in the cave of Ida, located on the modern island of Crete. It was in this cave that he was fed by the goat Amalthea and two nymphs, who, according to legend, were bears. Their names were Helis and Melissa. Having overthrown his father and the rest of the titans, Zeus gave his brothers - Hades and Poseidon - an underground and water kingdom, respectively. In gratitude for the feeding and care, Zeus immortalized the she-bear and the goat by raising them to heaven. Amalthea became a star in A Helis and Melissa are now two pleiades - Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

The myths of the Mongolian peoples identify this asterism with the mystical number "seven". They have long called the constellation Ursa Major sometimes the Seven Elders, the Seven Wise Men, the Seven Blacksmiths and the Seven Gods.

There is a Tibetan legend about the appearance of this galaxy of bright stars. The belief says that once upon a time a man with a cow's head lived in the steppes. In the fight against evil (in the legend it appears as a black bull), he stood up for the white bull (good). For this, the witch punished the man by slaying him with an iron weapon. On impact, it broke into 7 pieces. The good white bull, appreciating the contribution of man in the fight against evil, lifted him up to heaven. And so the constellation Ursa Major appeared, in which there are seven bright stars.