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Sunday, April 28, 2013

The "Big Dipper" is an "asterism" - not a constellation

This grouping of stars is one of the few things that has likely been seen, and will be seen, by every generation. The Big Dipper is not by itself a constellation. Although part of the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major), the Big Dipper is an asterism that has been known by different names to different societies.
Text and image from NASA's Astronomy Photo of the Day.
Asterisms are sub- or supersets of constellations which build a constellation itself, or a group of stars, physically related or not.
Here is a list of dozens of asterisms (such as the "belt of Orion.")

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