It is about six times more massive than the Sun, and 700 times more luminous. Alkaid (Eta Ursae Majoris) is a blue-white main sequence star situated 101 light-years from our solar system with a visual magnitude of 1.85.It is 415 times brighter than our sun, but is actually a binary system whose stars orbit each other once every 44.4 years. Dubhe (Alpha Ursae Majoris) is an orange giant found 124 light-years away with a magnitude of 1.81.It is 4 times more massive than our sun, and shines around 127 times brighter. Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris) is a blue-white subdwarf star located 81 light-years distant with a visual magnitude of 1.75.Ursa Major’s seven brightest stars in order of visual magnitude are as follows:
However, this beautiful arrangement of stars forms less than half of the entire constellation known as Ursa Major. It is also referred to as the “Plough” or “Frying Pan”, with four of its stars forming a pan shape, and the other three a handle. It is readily distinguished by means of a remarkable cluster of seven bright stars in the northern heavens, forming an asterism familiarly termed “The Dipper”.
Ursa Major is the Northern Hemisphere’s largest constellation and the 3rd largest overall, taking up 3.102% of the night sky.
