Ursa Major Constellation, 1822

by U.S. Naval Observatory Library

Title

Ursa Major Constellation, 1822

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U.S. Naval Observatory Library

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Photograph - Photograph

Description

Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. It is dominated by the widely recognized asterism known as the Big Dipper or Plough, which is a useful pointer toward north, and which has mythological significance in numerous world cultures. The seven brightest stars of Ursa Major form the asterism known as the Big Dipper in the United States and Canada, or the Plough in the United Kingdom and Ireland. A Celestial Atlas (1822) by Alexander Jamieson, inspired by the star atlas of Johann Elert Bode, but restricted itself to stars that could be seen with the naked eye. Comprising a systematic display of the heavens in a series of thirty maps illustrated by scientific description of their contents and accompanied by catalogues of the stars and astronomical exercises, plate 6, 1822.

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April 18th, 2016

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