Big Dipper adds to its population of stars

By William Atkins
Sunday, 13 December 2009 20:45

Science - Space

The seven main stars of the Big Dipper actually consisted of ten stars and, now, based on new astronomical observations by U.S. astronomers, a eleventh star has been found near Alcor, at the bend of the ladle’s handle.


The normally seen arrangement of the seven (7) stars making up the Big Dipper (because it looks like a ladle or dipper) is: Alkaid (at the end of the ladle’s handle; followed by Mizar (with Alcor close by) in the middle of the handle, and then Alioth nearest to the point where the handle meets the ladle.

At the point where the handle connects with the ladle, the star Megrez appears at the (left) top point, followed with Phecda at the (left) bottom point, Merak at the (right) bottom point, and Dubak at the (right) top point.

See them at the Astropix.com website.

It was already known that Mizar actually consists of four stars (quadruple system): two sets of tightly orbiting binary stars. That is, Mizar A consists of two stars (binary stars) and Mizar B also consists of two stars (binary stars).

And, Alcor, a smaller appearing star close to Mizar, was thought to be a single star in the sky.

So, the number stars making up the Big Dipper, as known in the past, was counted as ten (10). The ten Big Dipper stars make up a few of the stars in the constellation Ursa Major (Big Bear).

However, it was just recently discovered that Alcor has a companion star next to it. It is a smaller red dwarf star. It is now called Alcor B, with its much larger (already discovered star) being called Alcor A.

Page two continues with specifics of the discovery.