The constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear // Siegfried
Click below to see an annotated image and read more about the stars that make up Ursa Major!
In order of brightness:
Alioth (ε Ursae Majoris) is the brightest star in Ursa Major and helps form part of the handle of the Big Dipper. It is a solitary blue-white giant star about 83 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase alyat al-hamal meaning "the sheep's fat tail."
Dubhe (α Ursae Majoris) is a binary star system consisting of an orange giant and a blue-white giant star. The system is about 123 light years away. It forms part of the cup of the Big Dipper. The name comes from the Arabic phrase żahr ad-dubb al-akbar meaning "the back of the great bear."
Alkaid (η Ursae Majoris) is a solitary blue giant star about 104 light years away. It forms the very end of the handle of the Big Dipper. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase qā'id bināt naʿsh meaning "the leaders of the daughters of the bier."
Mizar (ζ Ursae Majoris) is a quadruple star system consisting of four blue-white giant star. The system is about 83 light years away. It forms part of the handle of the Big Dipper. The name comes from the Arabic word miʼzar meaning "covering."
Merak (β Ursae Majoris) is a solitary blue-white giant star about 80 light years from Earth. It forms part of the cup of the Big Dipper. Together with Dubhe, they form a line pointing towards Polaris (α Ursae Minoris), the North Pole Star. The name comes from the Arabic word al-marāqq meaning "the loins."
Phecda (γ Ursae Majoris) is a binary star system consisting of a blue-white giant star and a red dwarf. The system is about 83 light years away. It forms part of the cup of the Big Dipper. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase fakhth al-dubb meaning "thigh of the bear."
ψ Ursae Majoris is a solitary orange giant star about 140 light years away.
Tania Australis (μ Ursae Majoris) is a potential triple star system, consisting of at least a red giant star about 230 light years away. Its name is a portmanteau of Tania, which comes from the Arabic phrase Al Fiḳrah al Thānia "the second spring of the gazelle", and Australis which is Latin for "the south side."
θ Ursae Majoris is a potential binary system consisting of at least a yellow-white giant star about 44 light years away.
Talitha (ι Ursae Majoris) is a quadruple star system consisting of a blue-white giant star, two red dwarfs, and a white dwarf. The entire system lies about 47 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic phrase Al Ḳafzah al Thalitha meaning "the third leap of the gazelle."
Megrez (δ Ursae Majoris) is a solitary blue-white giant star about 80 light years away. It forms part of the cup of the Big Dipper. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-maghriz meaning "the base [of the bear's tail]."
Muscida (o Ursae Majoris) is a solitary yellow giant star about 182 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic word for "muzzle."
Tania Borealis (λ Ursae Majoris) is a solitary blue-white giant star about 138 light years away. Its name is a portmanteau of Tania, which comes from the Arabic phrase Al Fiḳrah al Thānia "the second spring of the gazelle", and Borealis, which is Latin for "the north side."
Alkaphrah (κ Ursae Majoris) is a binary star system consisting of two blue-white giant stars about 360 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic word al-qafzah meaning "the leap [of the gazelle]."
23 Ursae Majoris is a binary star system consisting of a yellow-white giant star and a red dwarf about 42 light years away.
Taiyangshou (χ Ursae Majoris) is a solitary orange giant star about 198 light years away. Its name comes from the Chinese phrase Tàiyángshǒu (太陽守) meaning "guard of the sun."
υ Ursae Majoris is a binary star system consisting of at least a yellow-white giant star about 116 light years away.
Alcor (80 Ursae Majoris) is a binary system consisting of a blue-white giant and a red dwarf about 40 light years away. It forms a double star with Mizar. The name comes from the Arabic word al-khawāri meaning "faint one."
