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The formation Ursa Major (Latin for "Big Bear") is better known today as The Big Dipper because its shape resembles a water dipper: four stars form the scoop and three others form the handle.

Many ancient civilizations though saw the shape as delineating the body of a bear, an animal most of them would have been very familiar with. That interpretation has been found as far back as paleolithic times, and in places as widely separated as Germany and the American Southwest.

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How many more stars does the Big Bear have than the Little Bear?

The Big Bear constellation, Ursa Major, has seven main stars, while the Little Bear constellation, Ursa Minor, has five main stars. Therefore, the Big Bear has two more stars than the Little Bear.


What names do the stars use?

Stars use names based off of Greek mythology such as Ursa Major which means Big Bear. The common name for this constellation is the Big Dipper.


Is The Big Bear is an asterism?

No, The Big Bear is a constellation, not an asterism. Constellations are officially recognized patterns of stars, while asterisms are informal groupings of stars within constellations that form recognizable shapes. The Big Bear is known as Ursa Major in astronomy.


How many stars are in the Great Bear?

9 stars are there in the constellation the great bear.


What is Ursa Major name after?

Ursa major is not a star, but a constellation. It therefore has stars of different colors.Ursa major is not a star, but a constellation. It therefore has stars of different colors.Ursa major is not a star, but a constellation. It therefore has stars of different colors.Ursa major is not a star, but a constellation. It therefore has stars of different colors.


What was the name of Little Bear's wife from Indian in the cupboard?

Little Bear's wife in "The Indian in the Cupboard" was named Bright Stars.


What is another name for the Big Bear constellation?

Another name for the Big Bear constellation is Ursa Major.


What is the Big Bear and little bear?

Big Bear and Little Bear are well-known asterisms within the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Big Bear refers to the seven bright stars that form the shape of a bear, also known as the Big Dipper. Little Bear is a smaller asterism also known as the Little Dipper, which includes the North Star or Polaris.


What constellation has the seven stars that form the big dipper?

Ursa Major, the Great Bear.


Is The Big Bear an asterism?

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Who was the big brown bear who protected Mowgli in The Jungle Book?

Baloo was the name of the big brown bear in the Jungle Book.


Explain why the big dipper and the little dipper are not separate constellations?

Quite simply, this is the way constellations are defined. Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars; somebody considered that a certain group of stars looks like a bear, and called it "big bear". This is one of the 88 official constellations recognized by modern Astronomy; you can look for other images in the stars, i.e., groups of stars. Those groups might be part of a constellation, or they may span more than one constellation. The Big Dipper happens to be part of a larger "official" constellation: the Big Bear (Ursa Major).Quite simply, this is the way constellations are defined. Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars; somebody considered that a certain group of stars looks like a bear, and called it "big bear". This is one of the 88 official constellations recognized by modern Astronomy; you can look for other images in the stars, i.e., groups of stars. Those groups might be part of a constellation, or they may span more than one constellation. The Big Dipper happens to be part of a larger "official" constellation: the Big Bear (Ursa Major).Quite simply, this is the way constellations are defined. Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars; somebody considered that a certain group of stars looks like a bear, and called it "big bear". This is one of the 88 official constellations recognized by modern Astronomy; you can look for other images in the stars, i.e., groups of stars. Those groups might be part of a constellation, or they may span more than one constellation. The Big Dipper happens to be part of a larger "official" constellation: the Big Bear (Ursa Major).Quite simply, this is the way constellations are defined. Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars; somebody considered that a certain group of stars looks like a bear, and called it "big bear". This is one of the 88 official constellations recognized by modern Astronomy; you can look for other images in the stars, i.e., groups of stars. Those groups might be part of a constellation, or they may span more than one constellation. The Big Dipper happens to be part of a larger "official" constellation: the Big Bear (Ursa Major).