The Big Dipper, also known as the Plough or the Saptarishi (after the seven rishis), is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial. The component stars are the seven brightest of the formal constellation Ursa Major.
The North Star (Polaris), the current northern pole star on Earth, can be located by using it. Polaris is part of the "Little Dipper", Ursa Minor.
Read more about Big Dipper: Stars, Guidepost, Cultural Associations
Famous quotes containing the word big:
“Politics at all times lead to bloody wars, and not only politics, but also religions as well as social and economic systems of all times are spattered with blood. Invariably the big ones devoured the little ones, and the little ones the tiny ones.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)