Mizar, a star in the Big Dipper's handle, has a tiny companion. This star, Alcor, was known to the ancients. The pair was ...

But before we go on a star-hopping tour from the Big Dipper, let’s take a look at the story behind the Dipper itself and meet the seven stars that we join to draw it in our mind’s eye.

The smaller constellation Leo Minor lies to the upper right (north) of Leo in the west this evening. Leo Minor appears crouched above its larger counterpart, sandwiched between Leo and Ursa Major. The ...

To find Polaris from anywhere in the northern hemisphere first locate Merak and Dubhe at the end of the “bowl” of the Big Dipper. Draw an imaginary line from Merak to Dubhe, and carry on for ...

Anyone who enjoys gazing at the night sky probably has a few favorite star patterns they like to look for: The Big Dipper, for example, or Orion’s belt. But those familiar shapes that many of us ...

Identify the two stars at the end of the Big Dipper's bowl that are furthest from the handle. These stars are called the "pointer stars" because they point towards Polaris. Draw an imaginary line ...