The Little Bear. Best placed in February. It is circumpolar from most of the northern hemisphere, meaning it never sets and can be found on any clear night.
Ursa Minor, known in English as the Little Bear, is centred near right ascension 15.1 hours, declination +68°. It is circumpolar from most of the northern hemisphere, meaning it never sets and can be found on any clear night.
It reaches its highest point in the sky around local midnight in February, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kochab | β UMi | 2.08 |
Not every shape people point out is a constellation. These are asterisms — patterns picked out of Ursa Minor by eye and by habit, with no official standing.
SkyRef draws Ursa Minor in its real position for wherever you are, right now, along with the other 88 IAU figures.