Editing Ursa Major (section)

{{Short description|Constellation in the northern sky}}
{{About|the constellation|the pattern of stars (asterism)|Big Dipper|other uses}}
{{Infobox constellation
| name = Ursa Major
| abbreviation = UMa
| genitive = Ursae Majoris
| pronounce = {{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɜːr|s|ə|_|ˈ|m|eɪ|dʒ|ər|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-AnotherFriendlyHuman-Ursa Major.wav}} {{respell|UR|sə|_|MAY|jər}},<br />genitive {{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɜːr|s|iː|_|m|ə|ˈ|dʒ|ɔr|ᵻ|s}} {{respell|UR|see|_|mə|JOR|iss}}
| symbolism = the Great [[Bear]]
| RA = {{RA|10.67}}
| dec= {{DEC|+55.38}}
| family = [[Ursa Major Family|Ursa Major]]
| quadrant = NQ2
| areatotal = 1280
| arearank = 3rd
| numbermainstars = 7, 20
| numberbfstars = 93
| numberstarsplanets = 21
| numberbrightstars = 7
| numbernearbystars = 8
| brighteststarname = [[Alioth]] (ε UMa)
| starmagnitude = 1.76
| neareststarname = [[Lalande 21185]]
| stardistancely = 8.31
| stardistancepc = 2.55
| numbermessierobjects = 7
| meteorshowers = [[Alpha Ursa Majorids|Alpha&nbsp;Ursae&nbsp;Majorids]]<br/>[[Kappa Ursae Majorids]]<br/>[[Ursa Major#Meteor showers|October Ursae Majorids]]
| bordering = [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]]<br />[[Camelopardalis]]<br />[[Lynx (constellation)|Lynx]]<br />[[Leo Minor]]<br />[[Leo (constellation)|Leo]]<br />[[Coma Berenices]]<br />[[Canes Venatici]]<br />[[Boötes]]
| latmax = [[North Pole|90]]
| latmin = [[30th parallel south|30]]
| month = April
| notes = [[File:Ursa Major from King City.jpg|240px|center]] The [[Big Dipper]] or Plough
}}

'''Ursa Major''', also known as the '''Great Bear''', is a [[constellation]] in the [[Northern Celestial Hemisphere|Northern Sky]], whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear", referring to and contrasting it with nearby [[Ursa Minor]], the lesser bear.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chandra: Constellation Ursa Major |url=https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/ursamajor.html |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=chandra.harvard.edu}}</ref> In [[Classical antiquity|antiquity]], it was one of the original 48 constellations listed by [[Ptolemy]] in the 2nd century AD, drawing on earlier works by Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Assyrian astronomers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constellation {{!}} COSMOS |url=https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/Constellation |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=astronomy.swin.edu.au}}</ref> Today it is the third largest of the [[88 modern constellations]].

Ursa Major is primarily known from the [[asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] of its main seven stars, which has been called the "[[Big Dipper]]", "the Wagon", "Charles's Wain", or "the Plough", among other names. In particular, the Big Dipper's stellar configuration mimics the shape of the "[[Ursa Minor|Little Dipper]]". Two of its stars, named [[Dubhe]] and [[Beta Ursae Majoris|Merak]] ([[Alpha Ursae Majoris|α Ursae Majoris]] and [[Beta Ursae Majoris|β Ursae Majoris]]), can be used as the navigational pointer towards the place of the current [[Pole star|northern pole star]], [[Polaris]] in [[Ursa Minor]].

Ursa Major, along with asterisms it contains or overlaps, is significant to numerous world cultures, often as a symbol of the north. Its depiction on the [[flag of Alaska]] is a modern example of such symbolism.

Ursa Major is visible throughout the year from most of the [[Northern Hemisphere]], and appears [[Circumpolar constellation|circumpolar]] above the mid-northern latitudes. From southern temperate latitudes, the main asterism is invisible, but the southern parts of the constellation can still be viewed.