Ursa Minor Facts for Kids

"Little Dipper" redirects here. For other uses, see Little Dipper (disambiguation) and Ursa Minor (disambiguation).

"UMi" redirects here. For other uses, see Umi.

Quick facts for kids
Ursa Minor
Constellation
List of stars in Ursa Minor
Abbreviation	UMi
Genitive	Ursae Minoris
Pronunciation	ur-SƏ-_-MY-nər Genitive: UR-see-_-min-OR-iss
Symbolism	the Little Bear
Right ascension	00^h 00^m–24^h 00^m
Declination	65.40°–90°
Quadrant	NQ3
Area	256 sq. deg. (56th)
Main stars	7
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	23
Stars with planets	4
Stars brighter than 3.00^m	3
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	1
Brightest star	Polaris (1.97^m)
Messier objects	0
Meteor showers	Ursids
Bordering constellations	Draco Camelopardalis Cepheus
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −0°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of June.

Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Bear, is a famous group of stars in the far northern sky. It's often called the Little Dipper because its seven brightest stars look like a small ladle or scoop. Just like its bigger neighbor, Ursa Major (the Great Bear or Big Dipper), Ursa Minor has been important for navigation for a very long time. Ancient astronomers like Ptolemy listed it, and it's still one of the 88 modern constellations we recognize today.

The most important star in Ursa Minor is Polaris, also known as the North Star. It's super helpful for finding your way because it always stays in almost the same spot in the sky, pointing north. Polaris is a bright, yellow-white supergiant star. Another bright star, Kochab, is an orange giant. These two stars, along with a third one called Pherkad, are sometimes called the "guardians of the pole star." Scientists have even found planets orbiting some stars in Ursa Minor, including Kochab!

The Story Behind Ursa Minor
Finding the Little Bear in the Sky
- How to Spot Polaris
Stars and Other Wonders in Ursa Minor
- The Brightest Stars
- Distant Galaxies and Objects
Meteor Showers: The Ursids
See also

The Story Behind Ursa Minor

Ursa Minor, with Draco looping around it, as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation maps published in London around 1825.

Ancient Sky Stories

Long ago, people looked at the stars and imagined pictures in the sky. In ancient Babylonia, over 3,000 years ago, Ursa Minor was known as the "Wagon of Heaven." It was part of the northern sky, which they called the "Stars of Enlil."

Later, in ancient Greece, people started calling these northern star groups "bears." The first "bear" was Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Ursa Minor became known as the "Little Bear." A wise man named Thales of Miletus suggested that sailors could use the Little Bear to navigate. The Phoenicians, who were great sailors, used it to find their way across the sea. Because of this, the constellation was sometimes called the "Phoenician Bear."

The North Star's Importance

For a long time, the stars in Ursa Minor helped people find north. Today, Polaris is very close to the North Celestial Pole, which is the point in the sky directly above Earth's North Pole. This means Polaris seems to stay still while other stars appear to rotate around it. This makes it a perfect guide for navigation, especially for sailors.

Other Names and Myths

Another old Greek name for the constellation is Cynosura, meaning "dog's tail." Some myths say a nymph named Cynosura, who nursed the god Zeus, was honored by being placed in the sky.

The Latin word for "north" is septentrio. This word comes from "septem" (seven) and "triones" (oxen). It refers to the seven bright stars that look like seven oxen pulling a plow. This name was used for both Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.

In the far north, the Inuit people called Polaris, Kochab, and Pherkad "Nuutuittut," meaning "never moving." In ancient Chinese astronomy, the stars of Ursa Minor were part of two groups: the "Curved Array" and the "Northern Pole."

Finding the Little Bear in the Sky

Ursa Minor as depicted in The Book of Fixed Stars, around 1009-1010. Unlike in western representations, the bear is drawn with its tail drooping down.

Ursa Minor is next to other constellations like Camelopardalis, Draco, and Cepheus. It's the 56th largest constellation out of 88.

Many people in North America know Ursa Minor as the Little Dipper. Its seven brightest stars form the shape of a small ladle or scoop. The star at the very end of the dipper handle is Polaris, our North Star.

How to Spot Polaris

The constellation Ursa Minor as it can be seen by the naked eye (with connections and label added). Notice the seven stars of Ursa Major that form the Big Dipper and then make a line from the outermost Big Dipper stars (sometimes called the "pointers") to Polaris.

You can find Polaris by first locating the Big Dipper (part of Ursa Major). Look for the two stars that form the outer edge of the Big Dipper's "bowl." If you draw an imaginary line through these two stars and extend it across the sky, you'll reach Polaris! It's about 30 degrees away, which is roughly the width of three fists held at arm's length.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) uses "UMi" as the official short name for Ursa Minor. This constellation is always visible from the Northern Hemisphere because of its position high in the northern sky.

Stars and Other Wonders in Ursa Minor

Ursa Minor and Ursa Major in relation to Polaris

The Brightest Stars

Ursa Minor has several interesting stars, but three stand out: Polaris, Kochab, and Pherkad.

Polaris: This is the most famous star in Ursa Minor and the brightest. It's also known as the North Star. Polaris is a huge, yellow-white star called a supergiant. It's about 432 light-years away from Earth. Polaris is actually a triple star system, meaning it has two smaller companion stars orbiting it. Because it's so close to the North Celestial Pole, it appears to stay almost still in the sky, making it a reliable guide for navigation.

Kochab: This star is an orange giant, meaning it's an aging star that has grown much larger and cooler than it once was. Kochab is about 131 light-years away and is only slightly fainter than Polaris. Scientists have even found a planet orbiting Kochab! This planet is about six times bigger than Jupiter.

Pherkad: Pherkad is a white, bright giant star. It's about 487 light-years from Earth. Along with Kochab, Pherkad is sometimes called a "guardian of the pole star" because of its brightness and location near Polaris.

Distant Galaxies and Objects

NGC 6217

Even though Ursa Minor is mostly known for its stars, it also contains some fascinating objects far beyond our galaxy.

Ursa Minor Dwarf: This is a small, faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy that orbits our own Milky Way galaxy. It's about 225,000 light-years away. Scientists believe this galaxy is very old, possibly as old as the Milky Way itself!

NGC 6217: This is a beautiful barred spiral galaxy located about 67 million light-years away. You can spot it with a good telescope. NGC 6217 is a "starburst galaxy," which means it's forming new stars at a very fast rate.

Meteor Showers: The Ursids

Every year, between December 18 and 25, you can see a meteor shower called the Ursids. These "shooting stars" appear to come from the direction of Ursa Minor. The Ursids are caused by tiny pieces of dust and rock left behind by a comet called 8P/Tuttle. When Earth passes through this trail of debris, the particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating bright streaks of light.

Ursa Minor facts for kids

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