Constellations

It’s time for the next series; constellations! Join me as we navigate around some of the 88 modern constellations, and maybe learn something new about them on the way too.

Following on from The Great Bear last time, it’s only fitting we go and visit The Little Bear today! Sometimes it is called The Little Dipper because it looks like a small version of The Big Dipper in Ursa Major.

Ursa Minor

Here is The Little Bear. You can find Ursa Minor by following The Big Dipper in Ursa Major. That points you to Polaris, the end of the bears tail!

Fun little fact I learnt whilst making this: the Latin name for both Ursa Minor or Ursa Major is septentrio. This is from the words septem meaning “seven” and trio meaning “plow ox”, from the appearance of them moving around the north star. If you are wondering where the seven comes from, count how many stars are in The Big Dipper and The Little Dipper.

Constellations are made up by us playing connect the stars in the sky. They can be anything you want. Next time you look up in the night sky, maybe you can make your own constellations! Let me know what you make!

All the best,