Ursa Major

stars · constellations · navigation

Ancient star pattern. Ursa Major was one of the original 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy almost 2,000 years ago, and people have been using it to find their way for thousands of years before that.

The Great Bear. Its name means 'greater bear' in Latin, and it got that name because there's another constellation nearby called Ursa Minor, which means 'lesser bear.' The ancient Greeks imagined these star patterns looked like two bears in the sky.

Third biggest constellation. Out of the 88 constellations we recognize today, Ursa Major is the third largest, making it one of the most impressive star patterns you can see from Earth.

Made by many cultures. Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Assyrian astronomers all contributed to the knowledge about this constellation, showing how people from different parts of the world were studying the same stars.