Little Dipper (Noun)
Meaning
A cluster of seven stars in Ursa Minor; at the end of the dipper's handle is Polaris.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Examples
- The Little Dipper is a small asterism in the constellation Ursa Minor, containing seven major stars that can be seen by the naked eye on a clear night.
- Navigators have used the Little Dipper to locate the North Pole for centuries, as the two stars at the end of the "bowl" point towards the North Star.
- If you can find the Big Dipper, you can also locate the Little Dipper and Polaris, the bright star at the end of its handle.
- At the end of the Little Dipper's handle, you'll find the North Star, or Polaris, which remains stationary in the night sky.
- In a winter night sky, the Little Dipper appears as a small ladle-shaped pattern of stars that seems to rotate once every 24 hours.