Myth: The “Big Dipper” is a constellation. In fact, the Big Dipper is an asterism. A constellation is an officially recognized group of stars as defined by the International Astronomical Union. Constellations are used to split the celestial sphere into different sections that aid in locating objects in the sky, kind of like landmarks on a map. An asterism, on the other hand, is a popular grouping of stars easily recognized by the casual star observer. Asterisms, which may be part of a recognized constellation, are not constellations themselves. The Big Dipper is one of the most well-known and easily spotted collection of stars in the Northern Hemisphere, and although it is often mistaken to be a constellation, it is merely an asterism. It consists of seven bright stars and is part of the constellation Ursa Major or Great Bear.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 01:00:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015