the Big Dipper Table of Contents Introduction References & Edit History Images & Videos Read Next What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox? Discover Plato and Aristotle: How Do They Differ? Brain Games: 8 Philosophical Puzzles and Paradoxes 9 Things You Might Not Know About Adolf Hitler 10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time Why Is It Called Black Friday? Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents Pro and Con: School Uniforms Contents Science Astronomy Big Dipper The stars of the Big Dipper in the constellation Ursa Major. (more) the Big Dipper constellation Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/the-Big-Dipper Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites The Planets - The Big Dipper Asterism – Facts & Info Sky & Telescope - A New Way to See the Big Dipper The Nine Planets - The Big Dipper (the Plough) Space.com - The Big Dipper: A Useful Pointer in the Sky Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question See some of the northern constellations such as Orion, the Big Dipper, the North Star, and CassiopeiaLearn about some of the brightest northern constellations: Orion, the Big Dipper, and Cassiopeia.(more)See all videos for this articlethe Big Dipper, constellation of the seven brightest stars of the larger constellation Ursa Major. This article was most recently revised and updated by Robert Lewis.