Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Big Dipper

NASA ^ | April 21, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Do you see it? This common question frequently precedes the rediscovery of one of the most commonly recognized configurations of stars on the northern sky: the Big Dipper. This grouping of stars is one of the few things that has likely been seen, and will be seen, by every generation. The Big Dipper is not by itself a constellation. Although part of the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major), the Big Dipper is an asterism that has been known by different names to different societies. Five of the Big Dipper stars are actually near each other in space and were likely formed at nearly the same time. Connecting two stars in the far part of the Big Dipper will lead one to Polaris, the North Star, which is part of the Little Dipper. Relative stellar motions will cause the Big Dipper to slowly change its apparent configuration over the next 100,000 years.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Jerry Lodriguss (Catching the Light)]

[SunkenCiv]

The web is CRAWLING, so this is it today, I'm outta here. Oh, and this one kinda sucks.

join or quit list APoD 'blog post new APoD topic Astronomy Picture of the Day topic & keyword Astronomy Chat, Bloggers & keyword Science Chat, Bloggers & keyword NASA's APoD archive Calendar 1995-present APoD on your desktop

[momtothree]

Shame on you, sunky! This one doesn’t suck at all! I remember being just a little girl and scanning the sky for the Big Dipper. All of my children did the same... it is our first memory of looking into space and truly wondering. (see, Sunky... it’s how you look at it vs if the picture is colorful of dynamic!) Hugs, Mom

[blueunicorn6]

We were going to be the generation who went to the stars. I watched Star Trek and the landing on the moon and dreamed that some day, I would have the opportunity to visit other planets in our galaxy. Now, we don’t even have a space program. We have a President with all the leadership qualities of a Sea Cucumber. For all that blather about “Hope and Change!”, there’s little hope evident and our only change is for the worse. Democrats, they’re worse than bed bugs.

[hattend]

Five of the Big Dipper stars are actually near each other in space and were likely formed at nearly the same time.

Really? Which 5? They must be a lot closer than I have ever thought.

[Verginius Rufus]

The first and last stars in the dipper are not moving with the others (the 7 stars are named in order of position starting with the top front of the dipper and ending with the end of the handle: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta). Alpha and Zeta are not part of the group.

Other stars believed to belong to the group (according to Wikipedia) are Alpha Coronae Borealis, Beta Aurigae, Delta Aquarii, Gamma Leporis, and Beta Serpentis.

Most of them seem to be around 80 light years away but Gamma Leporis is only 29 light-years away and Beta Serpentis is 150 light years away.

[Verginius Rufus]

Oops. That should have read “Alpha and Eta are not part of the group.”