Ursa Minor

Ursa Minor is a northern constellation containing Polaris at the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. Polaris lies close to the north celestial pole and serves as the current North Star.

Polaris: Polaris is a multiple star system that currently lies close to the north celestial pole. It is the bright star at the end of Ursa Minor’s handle and the current North Star.
Celestial navigation: Celestial navigation determines position and direction using observations of celestial bodies. Polaris in Ursa Minor provides a visible reference for finding north at sea.
Ptolemy: Ptolemy was a second-century Greek-Egyptian astronomer whose works shaped ancient astronomy. Ursa Minor appears among the 48 constellations listed in his Almagest.
NGC 6217: NGC 6217 is a barred spiral galaxy in Ursa Minor. It is a prominent deep-sky object within the constellation’s boundaries.
Little Dipper: The Little Dipper is an asterism formed by seven prominent stars in Ursa Minor. This familiar pattern outlines much of the constellation, with Polaris marking its handle’s end.
Latitude: Latitude is a geographic coordinate measuring angular distance north or south of the equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, Polaris’s altitude above the horizon approximately gives the observer’s latitude.
Almagest: The Almagest is Ptolemy’s influential treatise on ancient astronomy. It preserves an early systematic account of Ursa Minor as a constellation.
Ursa Minor Dwarf: The Ursa Minor Dwarf is a dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. This faint galaxy shares the constellation’s name and lies in its direction.
Kochab: Kochab is a bright orange giant star in Ursa Minor. It is one of the constellation’s two prominent bowl stars and once served as a pole star.
North star: A north star is a star that appears close to the north celestial pole. Polaris is the current northern pole star, making Ursa Minor useful for orientation.

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