The big dipper?

Question

I cannot find the big dipper in the sky....what do i look for?

Answer 1

Crikey, Larry M says the dipper revolves around the pole star over the course of a year. That is wrong. It actually revolves in the course of a DAY, because that motion you see is the turning of the earth on its axis.

Watch the dipper over a few hours and you will see it has changed position quite dramatically.

Everything in the sky will appear to revolve around the pole star in a day. It is just that all the stars, planets, sun and moon that are not close to North will set and rise, because they will dip below the horizon for a period.

The dipper is not too hard to find. You are probably looking too hard. It is really easy to see and once somebody points it out or you find it yourself, you will wonder why you couldn't see it before.

Good luck

Answer 2

Polaris is the end of the handle of the LITTLE dipper and is not a very bright star.
At about 11:00 pm, if you are mid-latitude in the northern hemisphere, look toward the northern horizon and then look up to about 1/3 to 1/2 the way to straight up, (your zenith). You will see somewhat of a box shape and three stars extending from it toward the zenith. The whole thing is one or two hand-lengths with the arm extended. Most of these seven stars will appear as bright or brighter than nearby Polaris. The two end stars of the dipper are the brightest and a line extended from them will pass close to Polaris.
You will be able to see the big dipper near the zenith early in the evening and it will rotate counterclockwise around Polaris, getting lower to the northern horizon as the night passes. Cassiopeia will be rising on the other side of Polaris from it.

Answer 3

Purchase a cheap compass and look in the direction the needle points, now scan the sky above the horizon in that direction, slowly examine the star formations you see, you will find two formations that resemble line drawings of pots, the star at the end of the handle of the smaller pot is Polaris, the pole star, look down and a bit to the left and you will see the big dipper.

Answer 4

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) is a northern hehisphere constellation. To the naked eye it appears to have seven stars that make up the shape of a large ladel or spoon. Over the course of the year it "revolves" around the North Star. If you draw a line through the last two stars that make up the spoon portion of the constelation, they point almost directly at the North Star.

Answer 5

Hi. Try this free astronomy program. http://www.stellarium.org/ You will find that Polaris is at the end of the Little Dipper.

Answer 6

the big dipper was out Tuesday night it looked like a upside down queton mark or if its right side up look for a sppon like thing

Answer 7

four stars make a lopsided box, then there are three more stars that make a handle. It's fancy name is Ursa Major, follow the link I'm giving you and you'll learn lots more!