Universe Intresting Story: Whenever you stand under the open sky and look at the stars, the shape of some stars in them looks different and special. In rural areas of India, children often get to hear the mention of Saptarishis in grandmother and grandmother’s stories – seven great sages who are inhabited as seven glowing stars in the sky. This Tara group called ‘Saptarshi Mandal’ in Indian culture, known as ‘Big Dipper’ in Western astronomy. This wonderful constellation is a major part of the huge constellation ‘Ursa Major’ which has maintained its special identity in both science and culture for centuries. Apart from this, this star group plays an important role in science, mythology, religion and direction.
Let’s know what is Big Dipper?
What is Ursa Major?
Ursa Major, called ‘Maha Valu’ or ‘Great Bear’, is a major and huge constellation of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the third largest constellation to appear in the sky and can be clearly seen from the Northern Hemisphere throughout the year. Its most famous part is Big Dipper, known as Saptarshi Mandal in India. It is a ‘asterism’ composed of seven major wires – dubhe, merak, phecda, megrez, alioth, mizar, and alkaid, which appears to be a spoon or a dipper shape. Ursa Major is mentioned in various civilizations and cultures such as Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese and Native American traditions. In Indian culture it is called Saptarshi Mandal and it is considered a symbol of seven great sages who shine as the light of religion, knowledge and penance in the sky.
Meaning and origin of name
Ursa Major is a Latin -language word in which ‘name Ursa’ means ‘bear’ and ‘Major’ means ‘big’ or ‘great’. Ursa Major means ‘Maha Valu’ or ‘Great Bear’ and the name is based on its celestial shape, which looks like a huge bear. This is the reason why many cultures of the world have seen this constellation as a bear since ancient times and the mythology related to it was created. Its shape and glow have given it a special place in people’s imaginations and beliefs for centuries. This constellation has been given special importance in Greek, Roman and Indian astronomy as well and many mythology are also associated with it.
Seven stars of Big Dipper
The most famous part of Ursa Major, Big Dipper or Saptarshi Mandal, consisting of seven bright stars and presents a large spoon or a dipper shape. The names of these seven stars are:
Dubhe – the star of the upper right corner of the cup.
Merak – Star of the lower right corner of the cup.
Phecda – Star of the lower left corner of the cup.
Megrez – the upper left corner star of the cup (it is the best in four cups of wires).
Alioth – closest to the handle (this is the brightest in Big Dipper).
Mizar – Tara in the middle of the handle.
Alkaid – Tara with a handle end.
Of these seven wires, especially the pair of alcor (Alcor) wires located especially Misar and Rider are known as ‘Horse and Rider’. In ancient times, they were also used for vision examination.
Saptarishi of India
In India, Big Dipper is traditionally called ‘Saptarishi Mandal’ which is made up of seven major stars. It is considered a symbol of seven great maharishis, who are extremely revered and respected in Hinduism. These Maharishi are considered to be the patron of knowledge, penance and cosmic rules. The names of the Saptarishi are: Maharishi Atri, Bhrigu, Kashyap, Gautam, Jamadagni, Vashistha and Vishwamitra. Saptarishi Mandal has special significance in Indian almanac and astrology as they are considered guides for time determination, arrival of seasons and religious rituals. The Vedas, Puranas and other ancient texts also mention Saptarishi and his stars which reflect their mythological and cultural importance. In this way, Big Dipper or Saptarishi Mandal is very important not only from astronomical point of view but also from religious and cultural terms.
Importance of Ursa Major in astronomy
From the dip and Mirak to the polaris – two major stars of Big Dipper and Mirak (Mirak) have special significance to find direction in the sky. The straight line connecting these two wires indicates the polaris located in the north direction. For this reason, they are called ‘Pointer Stars’. In ancient times, sailors, travelers and explorers determined their route with the help of these stars, especially during the maritime trip. This astronomical feature is still considered important in the study of direction and knowledge.
Circumpolarity in all seasons – Ursa Major Nakshatra is called a ‘Circampolar’ Nakshatra which means that it appears in most parts of the northern hemisphere throughout the year. Its frequent presence in the sky has made Ursa Major a reliable means not only in astronomy but also in direction determination. This constellation has been a guide to human civilization since ancient times due to the year appearance and this is the reason that even today this Tara group remains very popular and important among the people.
Stellar Motion – Most of the stars of Big Dipper are moving in the same direction and are related to the same astronomical group, which is called ‘Ursa Major Moving Group’ or ‘Ursa Major Stream’. This group helps astronomers understand how stars originate together and remain dynamic in the universe. However, it is necessary to note that not all the stars of Big Dipper are included in this group. Dubhe and Alkaid are not part of this group while Merak, PhecDa, Megrez, Alioth and Mizar are connected to this dynamic stellar group.
Big dipper in mythology and culture
Greek Mythology – The Greek mythology associated with Ursa Major Nakshatra is very famous. According to this legend, a beautiful young woman named Calisto who was a follower of Goddess Artemis became a victim of the attraction of the deity Zus. Enraged by this, Hera converted Calisto into a bear. Later Zeus gave him a place in the sky as ‘Ursa Major’ to protect Calisto. Due to this mythology, this constellation is called ‘Great Bear’ or ‘Maha Valu’.
In Chinese culture – In Chinese culture, the Big Dipper part of Ursa Major is known as ‘Beidou’. This star group not only determined the celestial direction but was also considered to be the symbol of the power of the emperor, the validity of governance and life energy (QI). Ancient Chinese astronomers used to see it with time determination, crops plan and spiritual rights of the emperor, which further increased its cultural and religious importance.
Tribes of North America – Many tribal tribes of North America saw Big Dipper as a bear that the hunters are chasing. Some tribes used this star group as a sign of weather, agriculture and time. In folklore, this star group appears to be associated with the cycle of life, the secrets of nature and the struggles of man.
Indian folklore – BIG Dipper in India is called Saptarshi Mandal which is a symbol of seven great sages. In different regions it is understood in different forms such as somewhere it is a chariot, somewhere the mandal of the gods, and somewhere it is considered a sacred symbol like Raksha Sutra (Rakhi or Kalava). Saptarshi Mandal has a special place in Indian folk songs, stories and traditional beliefs that gives it a religious and cultural identity.
Importance of Big Dipper in modern times
Big Dipper is also a very relevant and useful star group in today’s astronomy. It is considered to be the simplest and effective as the early practice of teaching stars, which can easily identify the new teachers. It also has special significance in the context of direction – stars called Dubhe and Mirak make a straight line and indicate the polaris, which can be identified by the north. Apart from this, changes in the position of Big Dipper and time in the direction also help in understanding the Earth’s rotation speed and ‘PRECESSION OF THE Equinoxes’. Due to these characteristics, Big Dipper still remains an important means in understanding the study of astronomy, knowledge of directions and the dynamic behavior of the Earth.
Astronomical interesting facts related to Big Dipper
Mizar and Alcor hold a special place in the wires of Big Dipper. They are identified as a ‘double star’ when viewed with naked eyes but is actually a complex multi-star system. Mizar itself is not a binary but a quadrupal system. It includes four stars and alcor is also a binary system. The two together form a wonderful celestial pair that can be clearly seen with the help of a telescope.
Apart from this, most of the Big Dipper’s stars such as Merak, PhecDa, Megrez, Alioth, and Mizar Ursa Major belong to a dynamic stellar group called Major Moving Group. This group has probably originated from the same stellar birthplace and still moves in the same direction. However Dubhe and Alkaid are not part of this group.
Another interesting aspect of astronomy is that the current ‘spoon’ of Big Dipper is not permanent. This figure is gradually changing due to the motion of the wires and according to scientists, this constellation will not look like today after about 50,000 years. This change is a wonderful example of the mobility of the universe and timely astronomical changes.
