Ursa Minor

UMi star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation ...

Origin of Constellation

Almagest άρκτος μεκρά

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Ἄρκτου μικρᾶς ἀστερισμός.
1	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς οὐρᾶς.	The star on the end of the tail	alf UMi
2	ὁ μετ’ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς οὐρᾶς.	The one next to it on the tail	del UMi
3	ὁ μετ’ αὐτὸν πρὸ τῆς ἐκφύσεως τῆς οὐρᾶς.	The one next to that, before the place where the tail joins [the body]	eps UMi
4	τῆς προηγουμένης τοῦ πλιυθύου πλευρᾶς ὁ φότιος	The southernmost of the stars in the advance side of the rectangle	zet UMi
5	τῆς αὐτῆς πλευρᾶς ὁ βόρειος	The northernmost of [those in] the same side	eta UMi
6	τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐπομένῃ πλευρᾷ ὁ νότιος	The southern star in the rear side	beta UMi
	τῆς αὐτῆς πλευρᾶς ὁ βόρειος	The northern one in the same side	gam UMi
	ἀστέρερ ξ, ὥν β’ μεγέθους β, γα, δ’ ὅ.	7 stars, 2 of the second magnitude, 1 of the third, 4 of the fourth
	ὁ περὶ αὐτὴν ἀμόρφωτος	Nearby star outside the constellation:
	ὁ τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἐπομένῃ πλευρᾷ ἐπ’ εὐθεύας καὶ νοτιώτερος	The star lying on a straight line with the stars in the rear side [of the rectangle] and south of them	5 UMi
	ἀστὴρ ἂ μεγέδους δ’	1 star of the fourth magnitude

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)