Have you been looking for new ways to pass time during this quarantine period? I know I have, and here is a simple way to do just that. The Big Dipper is the most known asterism, a group of stars that form a pattern yet are smaller than constellations. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major, or the Great Bear, and it is called the Big Dipper because it looks like a ladle and is bigger than the second set of stars that resemble an almost identical image, the Little Dipper (Rao). Given proper conditions, if you imitate these following steps you can find the Big Dipper in just a few seconds but can enjoy them for hours.
This group of stars that have been marveled for centuries aren’t just to look at. The Big Dipper has also been used to both tell time and to help with navigation. African American slaves took advantage of this and used the Big Dipper to direct them to the North on the Underground Railroad (Person). Ancient cultures used the set of stars to tell time and determine the seasons as well.
Materials
Clear starry night- A clear starry night is the easiest conditions to find the asterism. (When north of 41° North you are able to see the Big Dipper at any point throughout the day (Byrd).)
Area with minimal light- Having light around you will make it harder to spot the stars.
Steps/Sequence
1. Going out at the right time- When looking for the Big Dipper, the best time of the year is between March and June, while 10 p.m. is about the best time of night to see it (Person).
2. Finding the right spot- Begin by finding a spot where there isn’t any bright lighting, and where the northern horizon is visible and clear (Person).
3. Look north- Figure out which direction is north and then slant your head backwards about 60 degrees. From midsummer to autumn you will not have to tilt as far back because the Big Dipper is closer to the horizon (Person).
4. Find the Big Dipper- You are looking for a group of seven stars. Three of the stars make up the “handle” while the remaining four shape the “bowl”. If your having troubling locating it think of it as a kite instead and imagine the “handle” as the “string” and the “bowl” as the “kite” (Person).
Taking it a step further (Telling Time)
1. Finding the North Star- Once you find the Big Dipper, you can find the North Star one of two ways. The first is to look for the brightest star because the North Star is the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation. The second is to look at the two stars that line up with one another at the end of the “bowl” of the Big Dipper and look directly straight off from that in the direction of the opening of the “bowl” (Person).
2. Telling time with the Big Dipper- The Big Dipper is circumpolar. In other words, it circles around the north celestial rather than rising and setting like the sun. As a result, the Big Dipper rotates in a counterclockwise direction around the North Star. It travels all the way around the North Star once every day. This allows people to use the Big Dipper to tell time. When the Big Dipper looks as if it is upside down and north the North Star it is midnight. When it looks as if the handle if upward and east of the North Star it is 6 a.m. When it appears to be positioned right side up and south of the North Star it is 12 p.m. Lastly, When the handle is pointed downwards and west of the North Star it is 6 p.m. (Person).
Now that you know how to, sometime during this quarantine period, go out one night and see how fast you can find the Big Dipper. Then, without looking at the time, challenge yourself to see if you can tell roughly what time it is. Finally, sit down, lay back, and enjoy the beautiful starry night sky!
References
Byrd, D. (2017, October 3). Can you find the Big Dipper? Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://earthsky.org/tonight/where-is-the-big-dipper-on-these-octber-evenings
Person, & wikiHow. (2019, December 8). How to Find the Big Dipper. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.wikihow.com/Find-the-Big-Dipper
Rao, J. (2006, May 12). The Big Dipper and the Cross. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.space.com/2400-big-dipper-cross.html
RIPE Magazine | Volume 1 