What constellations borders Ursa Major. Big UniverseConstellation Ursa Major

bull thigh

The ancient Egyptians were among the first astronomers in history, with some of their round stone "observatories" dating as far back as the fifth millennium BC. It was the Egyptians who laid the foundations of the system of constellations that the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Greeks, Arabs, and then borrowed from them. modern science. At that dizzyingly distant time, due to the precession of the earth's axis, it was not the Pole Star that pointed north, but Alpha Draconis (Tuban). Its environs, together with the nearest luminaries, were considered by the Egyptians to be the "fixed sky", the dwelling place of the gods. Instead of a ladle, the priests could see the leg of Set, the god of war and death, who turned into a bull and killed Osiris with a blow of a hoof. Falcon-headed Horus cut off his limb in retaliation for the murder of his father.

China

Emperor Shandi's wagon

The astronomers of ancient China divided the sky into 28 vertical sectors, "houses" through which the Moon passes in its monthly journey, as the Sun in its annual rotation passes through the signs of the Zodiac in Western astrology, which borrowed the 12-sector division from the Egyptians. In the center of heaven, like the emperor in the capital of the state, the Chinese had the North Star, which had already taken its usual place by that time. The seven brightest stars of Ursa Major are in honorable proximity to it, within the Purple Fence - one of the three Fences surrounding the palace of the "royal" star. They could be described as the Northern Dipper, whose orientation corresponds to the season, or as part of the carriage of the Heavenly Emperor Shandi.

India

seven wise men

Observational astronomy in ancient india did not develop as brilliantly as, say, mathematics. Her performances have been tested big influence from both Greece and China - for example, 27-28 "stations" (nakshatras), through which the Moon passes in about a month, are very reminiscent of Chinese lunar "houses". Hindus also gave great importance The North Star, which, according to experts in the Vedas, is the abode of Vishnu himself. The asterism of the Bucket located under it was considered the Saptarishas - the seven sages born from the mind of Brahma, the forefathers of the world of our era (Kali Yuga) and all those living in it.

Greece

Bear

Ursa Major is one of the 48 constellations listed in Ptolemy's star catalog around 140 BC, although it was first mentioned much earlier, in Homer. Intricate Greek myths offer different backgrounds for its appearance, although everyone agrees that the bear is the beautiful Callisto, the companion of the hunting goddess Artemis. According to one version, using his usual tricks with reincarnation, the loving Zeus seduced her, provoking the wrath of both his wife Hera and Artemis herself. Saving his mistress, the Thunderer turned her into a bear, who wandered in the mountain forests for many years, until her own son, born of Zeus, met her on a hunt. The supreme god had to intervene once again. Preventing matricide, he raised both to heaven.

America

Great Bear

It seems that the Indians understood something about wild animals: in the legend of the Iroquois about the origin of asterism, the “heavenly bear” does not have any tail. The three stars that form the handle of the ladle are three hunters chasing the beast: Aliot draws a bow with an arrow embedded in it, Mizar carries a cauldron for cooking meat (Alcor), and Benetnash carries an armful of brushwood to kindle the hearth. In autumn, when the Bucket turns and sinks low to the horizon, the blood from the wounded bear drips down, painting the trees in variegated colors.

MAC

Big Dipper

The Big Dipper is an asterism that is part of the third largest of the 88 modern constellations. Ursa Major occupies more than 3% of the entire area of ​​the sky; not only stars are observed here, but also many distant bright galaxies. Among them is the famous Pinwheel Galaxy (NGC 5457), located northwest of Benetnash, the outermost star in the "handle" of the bucket. Today it is known that the five stars of the bucket (minus Dubhe and Benetnash) really belong to a single group of stars (Kolinder 285), connected by a common origin and movement. Its center is 80 light-years from the Sun, making Kolinder 285 the closest star cluster to us, and it continues to approach at nearly 50 km/s.

Alina Eremeeva, historian of astronomy, senior researcher at the SAI MSU:

“Even in the Chinese chronicles of the III millennium BC. describes systematic observations of the stars of the Big Dipper, which noticed a change in the evening location of its handle. The Pole was then close to the alpha of the Dragon, and the Bucket, as it were, revolved around it, orienting itself differently in different seasons. Looking closely at this rotation, it is not difficult to see in it the likely source of the swastika, a symbol of eternity and eternally current time. Indirectly, this is also evidenced by the traditional form of one of the main Chinese inventions, the compass, which was made in the form of a ladle with a handle pointing south. I hope that understanding the real content of this ancient symbol help clean up his reputation, which has been tarnished by his association with fascism.”

Ursa Major (lat. Ursa Major) is a constellation in 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 an apparent magnitude of 1.8. magnitude. According to the two extreme stars of this figure (α and β), you can find the Polar Star. Best conditions visibility - 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).

Short description

Detailed description

The constellation Ursa Major is located in the northern hemisphere of the starry sky.. People have known it for thousands of years. He was known by the astronomers of Egypt, Babylon, China and Ancient Greece. It was included by Claudius Ptolemy in his monograph Almagest as early as the 2nd century. And this work combined all the knowledge of astronomy at that time.

The Big Dipper is formed by the following seven stars:

1. Dubhe (Alpha Ursa Major), the name comes from the Arabic expression - "the back of a big bear."
2. Merak (β) - from Arabic "loin" or "groin"..
3. Fekda (γ) - "thigh".
4. Megrets (δ) - "base of the tail". It is the dimmest star among the stars of the Big Dipper.
5. Aliot (ε) - "fat tail". Most bright Star this constellation.
6. Mizar (ζ) - from Arabic - "belt". Near Mizar there is another star - "Alcor". It is noteworthy that the ability to distinguish between these two stars is a consequence of good vision (with myopia no more than 1 diopter).
7. Benetnash (η) or otherwise - Alkaid. The third brightest star in Ursa Major. "Al-Qaeed banat ours" is translated from Arabic as "the leader of the mourners."

As you can see, this formation includes 7 stars. If you connect them with a straight line, you get a figure that resembles a bucket with a handle. Each star has its own name. At the top of the bucket, opposite the handle, there is a star called Dubhe. It is the second brightest among its cosmic counterparts. This is a multiple star. That is, several stars from the Earth are seen as one due to the close distance to each other.

IN this case we are dealing with 3 stars. The largest of them is a red giant. That is, the core has already lost all its hydrogen reserves, and thermonuclear reaction goes to the surface of the luminary. It dies, and over time should turn into a white dwarf or become black hole. The other two stars are Main Sequence stars, that is, the same as our Sun.

On the same straight line with Dubhe, at the base of the bucket, there is a star Merak. This is a very bright light. It is 69 times brighter than our Sun, but due to the huge outer space doesn't make the right impression. If the straight line between Merak and Dubhe is extended towards the constellation Ursa Minor, then you can rest against the North Star. It is located at a distance that is 5 times the distance between the indicated luminaries.

The other lowest point of the bucket is called Fekda. This is a Main Sequence star. The upper point of the bucket opposite it is called Megrets. She is the dullest in a friendly company. This star is almost 1.5 times larger than our star and 14 times brighter.

There is a star at the beginning of the handle Aliot. It is the brightest in the constellation Ursa Major. Among all the visible stars in the sky, it ranks 33rd in brightness. From the end of the handle, it is the third in a row, and the second is a star. Mizar. Next to it is another luminary, which is called Alcor. Anyone with good eyesight can see it. They say that in ancient times, Alcor was used to test the visual acuity of young boys who aspired to become sailors. If a young man could see this star next to Mizar, then he was enlisted as a sailor.

In reality, not 2 stars, but as many as 6 shine in the space distance. These are the double stars Mizar A and Mizar B, as well as the double star Alcor. But from earth naked eye only a large bright dot and a small one nearby are visible. These are the surprises sometimes presented by space.

And finally, the most extreme star. It is called Benetnash or Alkaid. All these names are taken from Arabic. In this case, the literal translation means "the leader of the mourners." That is, the al-qaid is the leader, and our banat is the mourners. This luminary is the third brightest after Aliot and Dubhe. It ranks 35th among the brightest stars in the sky.

The brightest stars in Ursa Major

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.

These are the following couples:

1. Alula North South (ν and ξ),
2. Taniya North and South (λ and μ),
3. 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 last 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 the 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 to the solar system and takes 72nd place in the list of candidates for the search for planets similar to 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.

This is how you can characterize the constellation Ursa Major, known since ancient times. This space region also includes many galaxies. For example, the Pinwheel galaxy. It is better known as M 101. In size, it exceeds Milky Way. Her detailed pictures were taken by the Hubble telescope back in early XXI century. To get to this huge cluster of stars, you need to spend 8 million light years.

The Owl Nebula is also of interest. It enters our galaxy and looks like 2 dark spots located side by side. In 1848, Lord Ross considered these spots to be like the eyes of an owl. That's where the name came from. This nebula is about 6 thousand years old, and it is located at a distance of 2300 light years from the solar system.

But the most interesting thing is that the constellation Ursa Major is considered as one of the likely sources of extraterrestrial intelligence. In this part of space there is a certain star named 47UMa. This is a yellow dwarf, and its planetary system is very similar to ours. solar system. At least, today 3 planets are known that revolve around this star. In 2003, a radio message was sent to him. Earthlings are persistently looking for brothers in mind, and luck always accompanies the stubborn.

How to find the Big Dipper in the sky?

If you want to learn how to navigate the starry sky, then your primary task is to be able to find the Big Dipper bucket. Although it is not far from the North Star, it is still not so close to it as to be at the same point in the sky all the time.

The Big Dipper is easiest to spot in autumn and winter. At this time, in the evenings, the asterism is located in the north, not high above the horizon and in the position we are used to.

By the end of winter, the position of Ursa Major in the evening sky changes. The seven stars of the bucket move to the east, and the Big Dipper itself stands upright on the handle.

There is nothing surprising. Recall that every day all the stars describe circles around the pole of the world, thereby reflecting the rotation of the Earth around its axis. But during the year, the stars make one more additional circle, thereby reflecting the movement of the Earth in orbit around the Sun. The stars of the Big Dipper are no exception - shifting from the bottom point, the bucket, as it were, rears up.

In the middle of spring, Ursa Major is at its zenith in the evenings, right above your head! At this time, he is in an inverted position in relation to the North Star. Her bucket faces west, and the handle of the bucket faces east.

For those who live north of Moscow, it is most difficult to find the Big Dipper in the sky in the summer, during the period of short nights. At this time, the constellation is in the west, and the bucket is tilted down and looks north.

How to find the North Star in Ursa Major?

Now let's see how to find the North Star using the Big Dipper. This is done simply. Take the two extreme stars in the bucket, Dubha and Merak (alpha and beta Ursa Major) and mentally connect them with a line. And then extend this line five times the distance Merak - Dubhe.

You will see a star whose brightness is approximately equal to the brightness of the bucket stars. This is the famous Polar Star, the "iron nail", as the Kazakhs called it, referring to the immobility of the Polar Star in the earth's sky.

Knowing the position of the North Star, you can easily navigate in space. Draw a plumb line from Polar down. The place where it intersects with the horizon will point north. The rest of the cardinal directions are easy to find: the east will be on the right, the south behind, and the west on the left. So, guided by the stars, in Russia in the Middle Ages they built roads Moscow - Yaroslavl and Moscow - Vladimir, straight as an arrow.

Secrets of the constellation Ursa Major: how different peoples saw it

Egypt "Bull's Thigh"

The ancient Egyptians were among the first astronomers in history, with some of their round stone "observatories" dating as far back as the fifth millennium BC. It was the Egyptians who laid the foundations for that system of constellations, which was borrowed from them by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Greeks, Arabs, and then modern science. At that dizzyingly distant time, due to the precession of the earth's axis, it was not the Pole Star that pointed north, but Alpha Draconis (Tuban). Its environs, together with the nearest luminaries, were considered by the Egyptians to be the "fixed sky", the dwelling place of the gods. Instead of a ladle, the priests could see the leg of Set, the god of war and death, who turned into a bull and killed Osiris with a blow of a hoof. Falcon-headed Horus cut off his limb in retaliation for the murder of his father.

China "Emperor Shandi Carriage"

The astronomers of ancient China divided the sky into 28 vertical sectors, "houses" through which the Moon passes in its monthly journey, as the Sun in its annual rotation passes through the signs of the Zodiac in Western astrology, which borrowed the 12-sector division from the Egyptians. In the center of heaven, like the emperor in the capital of the state, the Chinese had the North Star, which had already taken its usual place by that time. The seven brightest stars of Ursa Major are in honorable proximity to it, within the Purple Fence - one of the three Fences surrounding the palace of the "royal" star. They could be described as the Northern Dipper, whose orientation corresponds to the season, or as part of the carriage of the Heavenly Emperor Shandi.

India "Seven Wise Men"

Observational astronomy in ancient India did not develop as brilliantly as, say, mathematics. Her ideas were greatly influenced by both Greece and China - for example, 27-28 "stays" (nakshatras) through which the Moon passes in about a month are very reminiscent of Chinese lunar "houses". The Hindus also attached great importance to the North Star, which, according to experts in the Vedas, is the abode of Vishnu himself. The asterism of the Bucket located under it was considered the Saptarishas - the seven sages born from the mind of Brahma, the forefathers of the world of our era (Kali Yuga) and all those living in it.

Greece "Bear"

Ursa Major is one of the 48 constellations listed in Ptolemy's star catalog around 140 BC, although it was first mentioned much earlier, in Homer. Intricate Greek myths offer different backgrounds for its appearance, although everyone agrees that the bear is the beautiful Callisto, the companion of the hunting goddess Artemis. According to one version, using his usual tricks with reincarnation, the loving Zeus seduced her, provoking the wrath of both his wife Hera and Artemis herself. Saving his mistress, the Thunderer turned her into a bear, who wandered in the mountain forests for many years, until her own son, born of Zeus, met her on a hunt. The supreme god had to intervene once again. Preventing matricide, he raised both to heaven.

America "Great Bear"

It seems that the Indians understood something about wild animals: in the legend of the Iroquois about the origin of asterism, the “heavenly bear” does not have any tail. The three stars that form the handle of the ladle are three hunters chasing the beast: Aliot draws a bow with an arrow embedded in it, Mizar carries a cauldron for cooking meat (Alcor), and Benetnash carries an armful of brushwood to kindle the hearth. In autumn, when the Bucket turns and sinks low to the horizon, the blood from the wounded bear drips down, painting the trees in variegated colors.

• The closest of the bright stars of Ursa Major– star Southern Alula or xi Ursa Major. This is a beautiful double star that can be separated into components in a telescope with a lens over 80 mm. Both components are similar in their characteristics to the Sun and each of them also has a satellite - a cold red dwarf! The distance to ξ Ursa Major is 29 St. years. A little further away is the star θ - 44 light years from the Sun. Well, farthest from all the bright stars of the constellation is the red giant μ Ursa Major, one of the stars in the front "paw" of the Ursa. Its distance is 249 light years.
• The constellation Ursa Major is depicted on the flag of Alaska. On the flag of the White Sea Karelia, which was approved on June 21, 1918, the Big Bucket is depicted. Also, the flag with the image of the Big Dipper is used by Irish radical left organizations.
• Ursa Major can be admired during the day. This can easily be done by finding it on one of interactive maps constellations. On the maps, you can find other large and small constellations and look at them in a big approximation.
• Needless to say, the huge constellation Ursa Major is a real treasure trove for a true astronomy lover?! In this region of the sky is great amount sights available for observation in small telescopes: binary and variable stars, several bright galaxies and dozens of weaker galaxies, open star clusters, and even planetary nebula. There is no way to fit the descriptions of these objects into the scope of one article. Therefore, we decided to publish separate articles on observations of the sights of the Big Dipper.

goes 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 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 Ursa Major make up a figure that forms an asterism bucket with a handle. But this is only a small part of the constellation itself.

Characteristics

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 with 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 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 proximity. Has a brightness of 10.0 m .

5 Spiral Galaxy M 109

In some sources you can find its other name - "A 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 photograph 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" with a 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

Constellation Ursa Major

Ursa Major is a constellation in the northern hemisphere of the sky. Seven 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. It can be seen throughout Russia all year round (with the exception of the autumn months in southern Russia, when the Big Dipper descends low to the horizon).

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: Rocker, Plow, Elk, Wagon, 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."

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.

The stars Merak and Dubhe, which 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.

Near Mizar, which was the second among those discovered with a telescope (Giovanni Riccioli in 1650; according to 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».

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).

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.

Description

Ursa Major is a constellation in the northern hemisphere of the sky, its seven stars make up the most famous figure in the sky. This is a bucket, which with its two extreme stars Dubhe (α Ursa Major, 1.8 m) and Merak (β Ursa Major, 2.3 m) gives direction to the Polar Star.

The brightest star is Aliot (ε Ursa Major, 1.76 m), and the most famous binary system is Mizar (ζ Ursa Major, 2.2 m) - “horse” and Alcor (80 Ursa Major, 4 m) - “rider ". It is believed that one who distinguishes between these two stars has sharp eyesight.

Two spiral galaxies M81 (7.0 m) and M101 (7.9 m) are visible in the constellation, which can be observed with a small telescope. M81 is interesting in that it is very similar to our Galaxy. Nearby is a small galaxy M82, in which a strong explosion occurred just a few million years ago. This event is of great interest for astronomy, as it sheds light on the processes of formation and development of galaxies.

Another interesting object is located in Ursa Major - the planetary nebula M97 - "Owl", which got its name for its resemblance to this bird. It can be observed in a small telescope, since the total brightness of the nebula is 11m.

The most interesting objects

Star ζ Ursa Major is a system of six stars. Of these, only two - Mizar and Alcor can be seen with the naked eye. The distance between these stars is 11". Mizar is a double star that can be seen well in a small telescope. The distance between the components is 14.5"". These two stars, as well as Alcor, are spectroscopic double stars. The distance of the entire system from the Sun is about 60 St. years.

Star U Ursa Major is a typical eclipsing variable whose components are in the Roche lobe. The period of brightness change is 8 hours, and the maximum brightness is 8.7 m.

χ Ursa Major- multiple system, consisting of two spectroscopic binary stars, distant at a distance of 2.5 "". They revolve around a common center of mass in 60 years. The most massive pair consists of stars similar to the Sun, and the second - from the same star and an invisible satellite with a mass 10 times less than the sun. The entire system is removed from the Sun at a distance of 25 sv. years.

M40- a faint double star discovered by Charles Messier in a place where he wanted to find a nebula, erroneously described by Jan Hevelius. It is located near the star 70 Ursa Major. The system consists of two stars with magnitudes of 9.0 m and 9.3 m , separated by 49 "". The brightest star is 510 sv from the Sun. years. Most likely, this is an optical double star; its components are not physically connected, but are located close along the line of sight.

M97- planetary nebula "Owl". Has a brightness of 9.9 m. The mass of the nebula is approximately equal to 0.15 solar masses. There are about 6 thousand years. It is removed from the Sun at a distance of 12 thousand sv. years.

SU Ursa Major- a variable eruptive star of the type of dwarf novae, in which two types of flares are observed. The system consists of a white dwarf surrounded by an accretion disk and a cold component of less mass. At minimum brightness, this star is no brighter than 15m. During normal outbursts, which occur every few days, the brightness increases to 12 m, and during rarer bursts - up to 10.9 m.

M81- a beautiful spiral galaxy type Sb. Brightness 6.9 m . Paired with it is the M82 galaxy - irregular in shape and weaker. Being more massive, M81 deforms its neighbor with its gravitational field. The Hubble Space Telescope made it possible to study 32 Cepheid variable stars in M81. Using this information, its distance to the Galaxy was determined - 11 million sv. years.

Spiral galaxy M81 (left) and irregular galaxy M82 (right). Composite images taken from images from the ground and from space.

M101- NGC 5457 is a spiral galaxy of type Sc, 22 in size. Brightness 7.9 m . The central part of this galaxy is visible in small telescopes. In photographs taken by large telescopes, it can be seen that it is asymmetric. The nucleus of the galaxy is significantly removed from the center of the disk. Distance to M101 was determined using Cepheids by the Hubble Space Telescope and is approximately 24 million light years.The linear diameter of the galaxy is about 170 thousand light years.In this star system, three supernovae were observed in 1909, 1951 and 1970.

Research History

In 1603 a significant event took place. The German astronomer Johann Bayer (1572-1625) published his famous atlas "Uranometry", which significantly refined the position of the stars in the sky. In it, for the first time, he designated the stars in Greek letters, including the seven bright stars of the Big Dipper Bucket from west to east along the “direction” of this star pattern. At the same time, Bayer violated the rule that the brightness of the stars must correspond to the Greek alphabet. The alpha star is the brightest, the second brightest is beta, and so on. The basis for "Uranometry" was the observations of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.

The most popular constellation, probably familiar to every person. It looks like a bright spectacular bucket and is observed throughout the year, as it is located near the North Pole of the world and belongs to the constellations that do not set in northern latitudes. The constellation is named after the nymph Callisto.

Observation

Ursa Major refers to those constellations whose location is well known. In fact, this constellation is the first to get acquainted, since the Ursa bucket is a very characteristic figure. To the east of Ursa Major, Perseus and Cassiopeia, clearly distinguishable, “walk” across the sky. The constellation Giraffe, adjacent to Ursa Major, does not have bright stars and is difficult to navigate. “Catches up” with the bear Bootes and its bright star Arcturus, located to the southeast.

The best visibility conditions are in March and April. The constellation is clearly visible throughout Russia.

Mythology

According to ancient myth, the eternally young goddess of the hunt Artemis roamed the mountains and forests with a bow and a sharp spear in search of game. Her companions and maids followed her. The girls were one more beautiful than the other, but the most charming was Callisto. When Zeus (Jupiter in Roman mythology) saw the nymph, he was struck by her beauty and youth. However, the servants of Artemis were not allowed to marry. In order to possess Callisto, Zeus went to the trick, and one night he appeared before her in the form of Artemis. Thus Zeus got his way. From Zeus, Callisto gave birth to a son, Arcadus, who quickly grew up and became an excellent hunter.