Biology

What is the name of the constellation Ursa Minor. constellation history

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Stars Ursa Minor are quite dim, so they can be hard to spot in the night sky unless it's completely dark. However, if you are looking at a perfectly dark sky, you can find Ursa Minor by finding polar star, which is part of this constellation.

Steps

Part 1

Use the Big Dipper to find the Little Dipper

Choose the right setting. Before you go looking for a constellation, make sure that the night sky is conducive to this. This is especially important if you are looking for Ursa Minor, as some of its stars are quite dim.

Get out of the city limits. If you live in big city or the suburbs, you're probably familiar with the term "light pollution." Due to the abundance of street lights, indoor lights, terrace lamps, and various other forms of electrical lighting that are on in the city at night, it can be difficult to see anything in the dark of the night sky. As a result, it is difficult to see the stars, especially when we are talking about such dim stars as Ursa Minor. You need to drive away from the lights of the city or suburbs if you want to see a sky dark enough to find Ursa Minor.
Move away from barriers. Low fences, bushes, and small objects on the horizon will not block your view, but large trees, barns, and similar structures will not. Increase your chances of seeing Ursa Minor by choosing a location with the fewest potential obstructions.
Come out when the weather is good. Ideally, you should go looking for Ursa Minor when the sky is only slightly cloudy. Too much cloud cover will completely hide the stars. You can also go stargazing when the sky is completely cloudless, but under such conditions the moon may appear brighter, which will prevent you from seeing the dimmer stars of Ursa Minor.

Find the North Star. Look north to find the North Star. If you want to find the constellation Ursa Minor, know. that the North Star is the brightest and the easiest to find. However, you will need Big Dipper.
Find Ferkad and Kokhab. These are two stars of the front edge of the bowl of Ursa Minor. Other than the North Star, these two are the only ones that are relatively easy to see with the naked eye.
- Ferkad forms the "upper corner" of the Ursa Minor bowl, and Kokhab forms the "lower corner" of the bowl.
- These stars are also called the "Guardians of the Pole" as they revolve or march around the North Star. It's coming bright stars to the North Star, and apart from the North Star itself, these two will be the closest bright stars to the pole or axis of the earth.
- The brightest star is Kochab, which is a second magnitude star with an orange glow. Ferkad is a star of the third magnitude, while quite visible.
Connect the dots. When you find the three bright stars of Ursa Minor, you can gradually explore the sky around them to find the other four stars that complete the picture.

Part 2
Seasonal changes and other factors to take into account
1. Spring and autumn. The position of Ursa Minor is slightly different depending on the season. During spring and summer, Ursa Minor tends to be slightly higher in the night sky. In autumn and winter, it is usually slightly lower and closer to the horizon.
  - The rotation of the Earth around the Sun also affects how you see the constellation. Since the Earth is tilted on its axis, the ratio of your geographical location to the stars that form Ursa Minor, may be closer or further. This angle changes, and in connection with this, the stars will appear either higher or lower in the night sky.
2. Increase your chances by choosing the right time of the year. Although Ursa Minor can technically be found at any time of the year under the right circumstances, it is easiest to see it on a spring evening or winter morning.
  - At this time, the stars that form Ursa Minor should be high enough in the sky. The brightness of the stars itself will not change, but you will have clearer visibility.
3. Do not look for this constellation in the southern hemisphere. As noted earlier, the positions of Ursa Minor and the North Star will change depending on the latitude of the area in which you are. If you go down to the very south, below the equator in the southern hemisphere, then the northern sky, including the North Star and both Ursa, will not be visible.
  - If you live in the northern hemisphere, then the North Pole and both Ursa Major and Ursa Minor will be circumpolar, that is, they can be found above the horizon. However, if you are in the southern hemisphere, these stars will lie below the horizon.
  - Note that at the North Pole, Polaris will be in the sky directly above you. If you are on south pole, Polaris will be directly below you, at a point far beyond your field of vision.

One of the most famous constellations is Ursa Minor. It is small and has no bright stars. And where is Ursa Minor and is it important? This cluster of stars is located near the north pole. For centuries, it has played an important role in astronomy, navigation and more.

Constellation origin

The constellation is one of the most ancient clusters of stars, which makes it very difficult to determine the exact origin. In ancient writings there are references to Homer Ursa Major, but information about Malaya was registered later, around the seventh century BC. In his writings, Strabo wrote that in the era of Homer, most likely, there was no Ursa Minor, since this group of stars was not yet known until the Phoenicians began to use them for navigation.

Astronomers speculate that earlier people they did not know where Ursa Minor was located, and had no idea of its existence. It was taken to a separate constellation only because of its proximity to the north pole. Ursa Minor is the easiest way to navigate. It was introduced into astronomy around the year 600 BC by F. Miletsky.

Myths and legends

There are legends and myths about the constellation. The first myth says that Ray's mother hid the baby from Kronos' father, who, because of the prophecy, killed all his children. When Zeus was born, his mother planted a stone instead of him, thus deceiving Kronos. She hid the baby in a cave, where he was fed by two bears - Helis and Melissa, later they were taken to heaven. And when Zeus grew up, he overthrew his father and freed his brothers and sisters. All of them became Olympic gods.

Another legend speaks of Callisto, daughter of Lycaon, ruler of Arkadi. The legend says that the queen had an unusual beauty that delighted Zeus. He took on the guise of the hunting goddess Artemis, whom Callisto served. Zeus entered the girl, and her son Arkan was born. Zeus' wife Hera found out about this and turned Callisto into a bear. Over the years, Arkan has grown. One day, going hunting, he saw and walked along it, not suspecting anything. I wanted to kill the animal. But Zeus did not allow this to be done and turned his son into a bear too: he transferred Callisto and Arkan to heaven. This act angered Hera. She met with Poseidon and asked not to let her husband's mistress and her child into her kingdom. Because of this, Ursa Minor and Ursa Major never go beyond the horizon.

constellation location

And where is Ursa Minor, how to find it? Before trying to find a constellation in the sky, you should know what it looks like. The main part of the constellation is the bucket. It is not as visible in the sky as the bucket of the Big Dipper.

To find all the stars in a constellation, you must first find Ursa Major. An imaginary vertical line with a slight bend is drawn through the extreme stars of the bucket. Then it is extended upwards by five such segments. The line will lead to the North Star. It is bright and is the end of the handle of the Ursa Minor bucket. What's next? Where is Ursa Minor and where to move from the North Star? Then, from the North Star, you need to move towards the Big Dipper, this is where the bucket itself is located. Unlike the Big Dipper, the handle of the Little Dipper is curved in reverse side. Now it has become clear where Ursa Minor is located in relation to the Big One.

The main thing is not to confuse

In this constellation, as in the Greater one, there are seven stars, but they are not so bright. The brightest are three objects, and the other four are not always visible in the night sky. Because of this feature, many amateurs to look through a telescope often incorrectly identify the bucket. They manage to mistake the Pleiades bucket for Ursa Minor. Knowing where Ursa Minor is located, and if you find it at least once, it is unlikely that it will ever be lost from sight.

The brightest bucket stars

To find out where Ursa Minor is located, you need to learn how to determine the North Star. See above for how to find it.

The small bucket is formed by the following stars:

Beta or Kohab;
Gamma or Ferkad;
Iildun;
Polar.

There are other stars that form the bucket and the handle.

The Polar Star will tell you where the constellation Ursa Minor is located. This is the brightest star, comparable in brilliance to the objects of Ursa Major. By the way, in the list of the brightest stars, it takes only 48th place, and it is not the brightest, as people who are far from astronomy believe. The polar star can be called a nail that is stationary in the night sky, and around which all other stars move.

The next asterisk is Kohab or Beta. In terms of brilliance, it is similar to Polar. Kohab glows with an orange glow. This star is colder than our Sun, and forty times larger in size.

Ferkab is another giant among the stars. It is hotter than Kokhab and the North Star, but several times inferior in brilliance.

All the stars in the constellation

Ferkab, Kokhab and the North Star are the brightest stars of Ursa Minor, which are always visible. There are forty-seven objects in the constellation, but only seven can be seen with the naked eye, and even then, in good weather. Usually only three stars are visible.

Seven stars create a bucket and a handle, you can quickly and easily determine where Ursa Minor is located in the sky. The remaining forty stars are not taken into account by amateurs. However, if all these stars are connected by lines, then a schematic image of a bear is obtained, although some argue that it looks more like a dog. For information, the ancient Greeks called the North Star Kinosura, which means the tail of a dog. Maybe they also schematically connected the stars into constellations and saw a cute dog in the picture? The answer to this question will remain a mystery to both astronomers and scientists around the world.

I live in the city and it's not easy to see the constellations. But Withconstellation Ursa Minor visible even from the outskirts of St. Petersburg, so I think on a clear day anyone can see them. I know two ways to find Ursa Minor.

How to find Ursa Minor

I don’t know how it is in science, I have my own ways:

traditional;
modern using gadgets.

Let's tell in order.

The traditional way: how I look for Ursa Minor

This method allows find not only Ursa Minor, but also the Great. Here you can not do without a picture and help.

You have to remember well what do these constellations look like. Try to remember how the stars are arranged. You can take the drawing with you, it will be easier look for the stars on the sky.
First of all look in the sky for the Big Dipper. The stars of this constellation are bright, it is not difficult to find it by comparing it with the picture. Found?
Just above the Big Dipper look for polar star. It is bright and is in line with the two stars of the Ursa Major bucket.
The polar star is the extreme star in "bucket handle" Ursa Minor. Find the rest of the constellation points based on the drawing.
Remember that the "bucket handles" Ursa Minor and Ursa Major always directed in different directions.

Now that you found the constellations, based on the picture, try to find them again, already on your own. By doing this, you will learn identify these constellations without outside help.

How to look for Ursa Minor: an "advanced" way

It turns out there are smartphone apps and tablets that allow look for Ursa Minor and other objects in the night sky.

How to find what you need using the application:

Loading Appendix.
Be sure to add information about your location.
Hover camera to that part of the sky in which you want to find a star or constellation.
The app shows you what are the names of the stars and circles the constellations that fall within the camera's field of view.

I myself prefer the second way. I don't really rely on my eyes and memory, and if find Ursa Minor and the Big one I can still do, then with the rest of the constellations everything is much more complicated. And the application is perfectly oriented even in poor visibility.

In addition, you can learn a lot of new names of stars.

> Ursa Minor

How to find constellation Ursa Minor in the northern hemisphere: a description with a photo, a diagram and a map of the starry sky, facts, myth, asterism Small Dipper and the North Star.

Ursa Minor - constellation, which is located in the northern sky and from Latin "Ursa Minor" means "lesser bear".

The constellation Ursa Minor appeared in the sky in the second century thanks to Ptolemy. It is easy to find by its famous asterism or location at the north celestial pole. At the end of the bucket handle you can see the North Star.

Although Ptolemy wrote it down, the authorship of the creation is given to Thales from Miletus (lived between 625 and 545 BC). He was called one of the 7 Greek sages. But there is an option that he simply opened it to the Greeks, and the Phoenicians, who used the bucket for navigation, also found it. The Greeks even called it Phoenician until it became Ursa Minor (previously also called Dog's Tail).

Facts, position and map of the constellation Ursa Minor

With an area of 256 square degrees, the constellation Ursa Minor ranks 56th in size. Covers the third quadrant in the northern hemisphere (NQ3). It can be found in latitudes from +90° to -10°. Adjacent to , and .

Ursa Minor
Lat. title	Ursa Minor
Reduction	UMi
Symbol	bear cub
right ascension	from 0 h 00 m to 24 h 00 m
declination	from +66° to +90°
Square	256 sq. degrees (56th place)
brightest stars (value< 3 m )	Pole Star (α UMi) - 2.02 m Cohab (β UMi) - 2.08 m
meteor showers	Ursids
neighboring constellations	The Dragon Giraffe Cepheus
The constellation is visible at latitudes from +90° to −0°. The best time to watch is all year round.

Holds a star with a planet and no Messier object. The brightest star is Polaris (Alpha Ursa Minor), whose apparent visual magnitude reaches 1.97. There is meteor shower- Ursids. Included in the Ursa Major group along with, and. Consider the diagram of the constellation Ursa Minor on the map of the starry sky.

The myth of the constellation Ursa Minor

About Ursa Minor there are two different stories. The first is about Ida. This is a nymph who raised Zeus when he was small, on the island of Crete. Native matter Rhea had to hide it from Kronos (father), who, because of the prophecy, killed all his children. As soon as Zeus was born, she planted a stone instead of him and deceived her husband. The prophecy has come true. The son overthrew his father and freed his brothers and sisters, who became Olympic gods.

Another story tells of Arkas. This is the son of Zeus and Callisto (nymph). She was devoted to Artemis and refused ties to men. But she could not resist Zeus. When Hera found out about the betrayal, in a rage she turned the girl into a bear. Callisto had to wander through the forest for 15 years until she saw the adult Arkas. He got scared and took out his spear. Zeus managed in time and sent a whirlwind that lifted both to heaven. Callisto became Ursa Major, and Arkas became Ursa Minor. But most often it is still attributed to Bootes.

There is an even more ancient myth, according to which 7 stars displayed the Hesperides - the daughters of Atlas, guarding the apples in the garden of Hera.

Asterism

The Small Dipper is created by the stars: Polaris, Yildun, Epsilon, Eta, Zeta, Gamma and Beta.

The main stars of the constellation Ursa Minor

Explore closely the bright stars of the constellation Ursa Minor northern hemisphere With detailed description, photo and characteristic.

polar Star(Alpha Ursa Minor) is a multiple star (F7:Ib-II) with an apparent magnitude of 1.985 and a distance of 434 light years. This is the closest bright star to the north celestial pole since the Middle Ages and the brightest in Ursa Minor.

To find it, you need to follow Dubhe and Merak (the two brightest at the end of the Ursa Major asterism).

Represented by the bright object A, two smaller companion stars B and Ab, and two distant stars C and D.

The brightest body is a giant (II) or supergiant (Ib) with a spectral type of F8. It has 6 times the mass of the sun. In 1780, William Herschel found B, a main sequence (F3) star, and Ab, a dwarf in a very close orbit.

The North Star is a population variable of I Cephei. In 1911, its variability was confirmed by the Danish astronomer Einar Hertzsprung. At the time of Ptolemy's observations, it was a magnitude 3 star, but today it is a magnitude 2. Due to its brightness and proximity to the pole, it is an essential tool in celestial navigation.

Kohab(Beta Ursa Minor) is a giant (K4 III) with a visual magnitude of 2.08 (brightest in the bowl) and a distance of 130.9 light years. Beta and Gamma are sometimes called Guardians of the Pole because they seem to revolve around Polaris.

From 1500 BC before 500 AD they were twin stars, being the closest bright stars to the north celestial pole. Kokhab is 130 times brighter than the Sun and 2.2 times larger in mass.

The traditional name comes from the Arabic al-kawkab - "star" and is an abbreviation of al-kawkab al-šamāliyy - "northern star".

Ferkad(Gamma Ursa Minor) - type A star with apparent magnitude 3.05 and a distance of 487 light years. It is classified as A3 lab, and the rotation speed reaches 180 km / s. The radius is 15 times greater than the sun and 1.100 times brighter.

It is a shell star that has a gaseous disk at the equator, which leads to changes in magnitude.

The name means "calf" in Arabic.

Yildun(Delta Ursa Minor) - white dwarf main sequence (A1V) with a visual magnitude of 4.35 and a distance of 183 light years. The traditional name from Turkish is translated as "star".

Zeta Ursa Minor is a main sequence dwarf (A3Vn) with a visual magnitude of 4.32 and a distance of 380 light years. In fact, it is on the verge of becoming a giant: 3.4 times the solar mass, 200 times brighter. Surface temperature- 8700 K. This is a suspected Delta Shield variable.

From Arabic aḫfa al-farqadayn means "leader of two calves".

This Ursa Minor is a yellow-white main sequence dwarf (F5 V) with a visual magnitude of 4.95 and a distance of 97.3 light years. It can be found without the use of technology.

Translated from Arabic as "brighter than two calves."

Epsilon Ursa Minor- triple star system, 347 light years away. Presented is A, a G-type yellow giant (eclipsing spectroscopic double star) and B is an 11th magnitude star with a distance of 77 arc seconds.

Epsilon A is also type variable RS Beagle Dogs. The brightness of the binary system changes due to the fact that one object periodically covers the second. The overall brightness varies from magnitude 4.19 to 4.23 with a period of 39.48 days.

Celestial objects of the constellation Ursa Minor

Ursa Minor(PGC 54074, UGC 9749) is a dwarf elliptical galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 11.9 and a distance of 200,000 light years. It's a satellite galaxy Milky Way. Most of the stars are old and hardly noticeable star formation.

Even people who are far from astronomy know how to find the Big Dipper bucket in the sky. Due to its proximity to the north pole of the world, in the middle latitudes of our country, Ursa Major is a non-setting constellation, so it can be found in the sky at any time from dusk to dawn throughout the year. However, the position of the bucket relative to the horizon during the day, as well as during the year, changes. For example, on short summer nights, the Big Dipper bucket slowly lowers from west to northwest, while the handle of the bucket is turned up. And on dark August nights, seven bright bucket stars can be found very low in the north. In autumn, the ladle begins to rise above the northeastern horizon closer to dawn, and its handle seems to indicate the point of sunrise. In the early December evenings, Ursa Major is visible low in the north, but for a long winter night manages to rise high above the horizon by morning and can be found almost overhead. At the end of the calendar winter, with the onset of darkness, the Big Dipper bucket is visible in the northeast with the handle down, and by morning it shifts to the northwest, with the handle up. It is quite logical that due to such great recognition and favorable visibility on any clear evening (or night), the Big Dipper bucket becomes the starting point for searching for other constellations, including Ursa Minor with perhaps the most famous star in the northern hemisphere - Polaris. Despite its fame, few people who are not familiar with the mysteries of the starry sky have seen this star with their own eyes. So, in terms of brilliance, it is similar to the stars of the Big Dipper bucket, but all the other stars of the Little Dipper bucket, with the exception of one more - in the southern part of the constellation - are much weaker and may not be visible in the brightly illuminated city sky. Therefore, to get to know starry sky it is better to choose an observation site outside of large metropolitan areas, or in a forested area.

So, let's start our acquaintance with the starry sky. Today we will get acquainted with the four constellations northern sky: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor (with the famous North Star), Dragon and Cassiopeia. All these constellations, due to their proximity to North Pole peace in the European territory former USSR are non-entering. Those. they can be found in the starry sky on any day and at any time. The first steps should begin with the bucket of the Big Dipper known to everyone. Did you find it in the sky? If not, then to search for it, remember that on summer evenings the ladle is in the northwest, in autumn - in the north, in winter - in the northeast, in spring - directly overhead. Now pay attention to the two extreme stars of this bucket (see. Fig.). If you mentally draw a straight line through these two stars, then the first star, the brightness of which is comparable to the brightness of the stars of the Ursa Major bucket, will be the Polar Star, belonging to the constellation Ursa Minor. Using the map shown in the figure, try to find the rest of the stars in this constellation. If you observe in urban conditions, then it will be difficult to make out the stars of the "small bucket" (namely, this is how the constellation Ursa Minor is unofficially called): they are not as bright as the stars of the "big bucket", i.e. Big Dipper. To do this, it is better to have binoculars on hand. When you see the constellation Ursa Minor, you can try to find the constellation Cassiopeia. I don’t know about you, but for me it was initially associated with another “bucket”. Rather, it is even a "coffee pot". So, look at the second from the end star of the Big Dipper bucket handle. This is the star next to which an asterisk is barely visible to the naked eye. The bright star is called Mizar, and the one next to it is Alkor (here is the lineup of iconic Soviet telescopes for astronomy lovers, produced by the Novosibirsk Instrument-Making Plant (NPZ)). They say that if translated from Arabic, then Mizar is a horse, and Alcor is a rider.
So, Mizar is found. Now draw a mental line from Mizar through the North Star and then about the same distance. And you will surely see a rather bright constellation in the form of the Latin letter W (see picture). This is Cassiopeia. Still, something like a "coffee pot", isn't it?
After Cassiopeia, we try to find the constellation Draco. As can be seen from the figure at the top of the page, it seems to extend between the buckets of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, moving further towards Cepheus, Lyra, Hercules and Cygnus. We will talk about these constellations a little later, and, having gained basic experience in orienting in the starry sky, try using the above drawing to find the constellation Draco in full.

Now you should be able to find the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Draco in the sky. Repeating observations of these constellations every clear evening, you will begin to distinguish them very quickly and without much difficulty from the rest of the starry sky, and the task of finding other constellations will seem to you no longer such a difficult task!

For those novice observers who intend to continue studying the treasures of the starry sky even after all the constellations have been mastered, at the first stages of observing the constellations, we recommend that you acquire observation log, in which it is necessary to enter the date and time of observations, as well as sketch the position of the constellations relative to the horizon. Also try to reproduce as accurately as possible a picture of the location of the bright stars of the constellations relative to each other on the celestial sphere, and also try to put on such homemade " star charts» even the faintest stars. When you master the alphabet of the starry sky and pick up a telescope (or binoculars) to observe other objects in the starry sky, these sketching skills will be very useful to you. Yes, just browse old magazine Observations are always nice. After all, how many pleasant memories come to life in the memory!

Questions for the first task:
1. In what region of the sky was the constellation Cassiopeia during your observations?
2. In what area of the sky was the bucket of the Big Dipper?
3. Could you see Alcor with the naked eye?
4. Keep a journal of observations (for example, in the form of a regular common notebook), in which note the position of the constellations familiar to you from the first assignment above the horizon in the evening, at night and in the morning. Thus, you can see with your own eyes the daily rotation of the celestial sphere. Try to reproduce the appearance of the constellations in your journals as accurately as possible, and draw even the faintest stars. Don't limit yourself to familiar constellations. Draw also those parts of the starry sky that are not yet familiar to you.