The Ursa Minor constellation
UMi · Catalogue stars: 11
Why this name?
Ursa Minor is the smaller companion of Ursa Major. Its seven principal stars form a similar dipper, but are considerably fainter than those of the larger one.
A little history
Ancient writers noted its importance for navigation at sea. Polaris lies at the end of its ‘tail’, but in Ptolemy’s time the star was much farther from the celestial pole than it is today.
Data
- IAU code
- UMi
- Catalogue stars
- 11
- Messier objects
- 0
- Brightest star
- Polaris · 2.0ᵐ
Stars
Stars (HIP)
- HIP 82080 · 4.2ᵐ · G5IIIvar
- HIP 70692 · 4.3ᵐ · K4III
- HIP 77055 · 4.3ᵐ · A3Vn
- HIP 73199 · 4.6ᵐ · M5III
- HIP 69112 · 4.8ᵐ · K3III
- HIP 79822 · 5.0ᵐ · F5V
- HIP 76008 · 5.0ᵐ · K5III
Altitude above the horizon by latitude
| Latitude | Maximum altitude | Rise azimuth |
|---|---|---|
| +60° | 72° · never sets | — |
| +55° | 67° · never sets | — |
| +45° | 57° · never sets | — |
| +30° | 42° · never sets | — |
| 0° | 12° | 12° |
| −35° | never rises | — |
Geometric altitude at upper culmination, atmospheric refraction not included. Positive latitudes are in the northern hemisphere.
Culmination time by month
| Month | Culmination |
|---|---|
| January | 07:55 |
| February | 05:48 |
| March | 04:02 |
| April | 02:09 |
| May | 00:15 |
| June | 22:08 |
| July | 20:04 |
| August | 18:03 |
| September | 16:10 |
| October | 14:22 |
| November | 12:21 |
| December | 10:12 |
Upper culmination in local solar time — no time-zone or daylight-saving correction applied.
Neighbouring constellations
In brief
Which is the brightest star in Ursa Minor?
Polaris — 2.0ᵐ.