northern skyBest Apr
Ursa Major
The Great Beargen. Ursae Majoris
- Brightest
- Dubhe
- Stars
- 150
- Best viewed
- April
- Sky center
- 165.0°, +56.0°
Alpha Ursae Majoris
in catalog
from mid-latitudes
RA / Dec
Live 3D view
150 stars
pinch · drag
α · Brightest
Dubhe
Mythology
The Great Bear contains the Big Dipper asterism. In Greek myth, Callisto was transformed into a bear by Hera and placed in the sky by Zeus. Nearly every culture has bear or wagon stories for these seven stars — from the Roman 'Septentriones' to the Arabic 'Na'ash' (bier).
Brightest stars
top 8 of 150| Star | Bayer | Magnitude | B−V |
|---|---|---|---|
Alioth | 77Eps UMa | 1.76 | -0.02 |
Dubhe | 50Alp UMa | 1.81 | 1.06 |
Alkaid | 85Eta UMa | 1.85 | -0.10 |
Mizar | 79Zet UMa | 2.23 | 0.06 |
Merak | 48Bet UMa | 2.34 | 0.03 |
Phecda | 64Gam UMa | 2.41 | 0.04 |
52Psi UMa | — | 3.00 | 1.14 |
Tania Australis | 34Mu UMa | 3.06 | 1.60 |
- Alioth77Eps UMa1.76mag
- Dubhe50Alp UMa1.81mag
- Alkaid85Eta UMa1.85mag
- Mizar79Zet UMa2.23mag
- Merak48Bet UMa2.34mag
- Phecda64Gam UMa2.41mag
- 52Psi UMa3.00mag
- Tania Australis34Mu UMa3.06mag
Lower magnitude = brighter. B−V color index maps to star color (bluer cooler, redder warmer).
