Ursa Minor

constellation · navigation · night sky

The Little Bear. Ursa Minor is a constellation in the far northern sky that looks like a tiny bear, and it's also called the Little Dipper because its brightest stars form a ladle shape.

The North Star. Polaris, the brightest star in Ursa Minor, sits almost directly above the North Pole, which means it stays in the same spot in the sky all night long, making it perfect for navigation.

Sailors' guide. For thousands of years, sailors used Polaris to find their way across dark oceans because it always shows them where north is.

Ancient constellation. Ursa Minor was one of 48 constellations named by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy about 1,900 years ago, and it's still one of the 88 constellations we recognize today.

Shape like a ladle. The seven brightest stars in Ursa Minor form a pattern with a bowl and a handle, much like its larger cousin, the Great Bear, which has the Big Dipper shape.