The Great Bear. Best placed in December. It sits well north on the sky and is comfortably placed for northern hemisphere observers.
Ursa Major, known in English as the Great Bear, is centred near right ascension 11.0 hours, declination +48°. It sits well north on the sky and is comfortably placed for northern hemisphere observers.
It reaches its highest point in the sky around local midnight in December, which is when it is easiest to pick out. Earlier in the year it rises before dawn; later, it is already setting in the evening.
| Star | Designation | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Dubhe | α UMa | 1.79 |
| Merak | β UMa | 2.37 |
| Phecda | γ UMa | 2.44 |
Not every shape people point out is a constellation. These are asterisms — patterns picked out of Ursa Major by eye and by habit, with no official standing.
SkyRef draws Ursa Major in its real position for wherever you are, right now, along with the other 88 IAU figures.