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SkyTour - Ursa Major - The Great Bear

Leo

Ursa Major is a very prominent constellation that always appears to the north. The section of Ursa Major that is most famous consists of seven very bright stars called the "Big Dipper". The Big Dipper, despite its prominence, is not a full-fledged constellation but merely an asterism. The second star from the end of the Big Dippers handle is called Mizar. On a clear night you might see another much more faint star called Alcor which was used as an early vision test by the Arabs. Anybody who could see Alcor was considered to have normal vision. Don't worry if you can't spot it. The Alcor vision test was used in the days before light pollution made it impossible to see dim stars from populated areas.

While the Big Dipper contains some of the brightest stars in the sky, the legs of the Great Bear are much dimmer.

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