Constellation
Contains Polaris, the North Star, at the tip of its tail, making it a key reference for celestial navigation.
| Type | Constellation |
|---|---|
| Area of sky | 256 sq° |
| Brightest star | Polaris |
| Brightest star magnitude | mag 1.98 |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Zodiac constellation | No |
| Discovered | 150 |
A constellation is a pattern drawn on the sky rather than a physical grouping: its stars are usually unrelated and sit at wildly different distances, just lined up as seen from Earth.
Ursa Minor covers 256 square degrees of sky, which is 0.6 percent of the whole celestial sphere.
That makes it the 56th largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.
It sits in the northern sky.
Its brightest star reaches magnitude 1.98, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.
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