What is the big dipper myth?

Answer 1

1. It's not a constellation.

2. It's an asterism, which happens to be PART of a constellation, the Great Bear.

3. Asterisms can also be BIGGER than constellations and include several of them, as the "Summer Triangle" includes the Lyre, the Swan and the Eagle.

4. It's used to find the North Star, but this won't always be the case.

4a. For one thing, the Earth's slow wobble (called "precession") means in a few thousand years, Polaris won't be the North Star any more;

4b. For another, the proper motion of the stars of the Dipper means that the "pointer" stars won't always be pointing to Polaris.

5. Many cultures recognize the Big Dipper, but they call it different things: sometimes it's a drinking gourd (Africa); a bear (!) pursued by three Indians (America) or a wagon (Europe) or a plough (also Europe).

Answer 2

If you can find the North Star (Polaris), the Big Dipper (Ursa major) will rotate close by.

1- Find north on a cloudless evening

2- Find the Little Dipper (Ursa minor), the North Star is the last star in its handle.

3- The Big Dipper looks as though it is emptying into the Little Dipper.

Answer 3

There are several mythological interpretations on Ursa Major (The Big Dipper). For more information, please see the related link below.

Answer 4

They do not move