Ursa Major - The Big Dipper / The Great Bear

Learn about the constellation Ursa Major - The Great Bear, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.

Ursa Major is a constellation visible throughout the year in the northern hemisphere.

Location: Northern Circumpolar 10h RA 55° Dec

The seven brightest stars, located in the Bear's hindquarters and tail, form the well-known Plough asterism. Except for Dubhe and Alkaid, the stars of the Big Dipper, all have proper motions heading towards a common point in Sagittarius. A few other such stars have been identified, and together they are called the Ursa Major Moving Group.

Ursa Major Mythology

The constellation of Ursa Major has been seen by many distinct civilizations as a bear. In one sequence, together with the nearby Ursa Minor, it is associated with the myth of Callisto, and in another the myth of Cynosura.

Ursa Major Deep Space Objects

Several bright galaxies are found in Ursa Major, including the pair Messier 81 (one of the brightest galaxies in the sky) and Messier 82 above the bear's head, and Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)

The bright planetary nebula Owl Nebula (M97) can be found along the bottom of the bowl of the Big Dipper.

The Hubble Deep Field is located to the northeast of δ Ursae Majoris.

In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.

#		Common Name	Constellation	Month	Coords	Direction	Mag	Size (arcmin)	Type	Star Chart
M40		Winnecke 4	Ursa Major	Feb	12h 22.4m RA 58° 05m Dec	N	9.60	0.86	Double Star	🔍︎
M81 NGC 3031		Bodems Galaxy	Ursa Major	May	09h 55.6m RA 69° 04m Dec	Z	6.94	26.9x14.1	Galaxy	🔍︎
M82 NGC 3034		Cigar Galaxy	Ursa Major	May	09h 55.8m RA 69° 41m Dec	Z	8.41	11.4x4.3	Galaxy	🔍︎
M97 NGC 3587		The Owl Nebula	Ursa Major	Mar	11h 14.8m RA 55° 01m Dec	Z	9.90	3.3x3.4	Planetary Nebula	🔍︎
M101 NGC 5457		Pinwheel Galaxy	Ursa Major	May	14h 03.3m RA 54° 21m Dec	Z	7.86	28.8x26.9	Galaxy	🔍︎
M108 NGC 3556		The Surfboard Galaxy	Ursa Major	May	11h 11.5m RA 55° 40m Dec	Z	10.70	8.7x2.2	Galaxy	🔍︎
M109 NGC 3992		Vacuum Cleaner Galaxy	Ursa Major	May	11h 57.6m RA 53° 23m Dec	Z	10.60	7.6x4.7	Galaxy	🔍︎