URSA MAJOR

78-124 light-years

The constellation of Ursa Major is a well-known sight in the northern hemisphere. Although often called the Plough or the big dipper, most mythologies have thought of this as a great bear - the three stars on the left being its tail and the four at the right part of its back. The two stars on the far right - called 'the pointers' - trace a line that can be used to find Polaris (the north star), a trick used by travellers for thousands of years.

Credit: Image made in visible light by Eckhard Slawik.

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