Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
the Big Dipper
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History
Images & Videos
Big Dipper
See some of the northern constellations such as Orion, the Big Dipper, the North Star, and Cassiopeia
Read Next
Colorful winter sunset
What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox?
Discover
In this aerial photo, structures are damaged and destroyed October 15, 2005 in Balakot, Pakistan. It is estimated that 90% of the city of Balakot was leveled by the earthquake. The death toll in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 is believed to be 38,000 with at least 1,300 more dead in Indian Kashmir. SEE CONTENT NOTES.
6 of the World’s Deadliest Natural Disasters
Fish. Lionfish. Lion-fish. Turkey fish. Fire-fish. Red lionfish. Pterois volitans. Venomous fin spines. Coral reefs. Underwater. Ocean. Red lionfish swims by seaweed.
10 of the World’s Most Dangerous Fish
Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal. Mughal architecture. Emperor Shah Jahan fifth Mughal Emperor (reigned 1628-1658) India, Himachal Pradesh, Basohli or Jammu and Kashmir, Mankot, circa 1690 Drawings; Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper (see notes)
6 Important Mughal Emperors
Chapter 4 pg 42 - Chapter header of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Published in 1884 by The American Publishing Company
Periods of American Literature
Data analysis of the Super Bowl's "winningest" teams, game locations, MVP winners by position, teams with the most game losses. football, sports, infographic
From Sport to Spectacle: The History of the Super Bowl
Young man skeet shooting with airborne shell
6 Unusual Olympic Sports
winter ice melting salt on the ground, pattern as background
Why Does Salt Melt Ice?
Big Dipper
Big Dipper The stars of the Big Dipper in the constellation Ursa Major.

the Big Dipper

constellation
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
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/the-Big-Dipper
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
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
See some of the northern constellations such as Orion, the Big Dipper, the North Star, and Cassiopeia
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.
See all videos for this article

the 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.