Question map
Which one of the following is correct ? Great Bear is a
Explanation
Great Bear, also known as Ursa Major, is a constellation located in the northern celestial hemisphere [t1][t2]. A constellation is defined as a group of stars that form a recognizable shape or pattern in the night sky [c5]. Ursa Major is the third largest constellation in the sky and is particularly famous for containing the 'Big Dipper' (or Saptarshi), which is an asterism consisting of its seven brightest stars [c5][t1][t8]. While the Big Dipper is often mistaken for a constellation itself, it is technically a sub-pattern within the larger Great Bear constellation [t5][t8]. The name 'Ursa Major' translates from Latin to 'the great bear' [t1]. It is a circumpolar constellation for most observers in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning it appears to revolve around the North Star (Polaris) without setting below the horizon [c5][t8].
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 1: The Universe, The Big Bang Theory, Galaxies & Stellar Evolution > 1.6. Constellations > p. 15