Big Dipper

The Big Dipper is not a separate constellation but is actually an asterism, a part of a larger constellation, in this case, Ursa Major. But because it is so well known and so easily recognizable, it is logical to include it here. The Big Dipper is also an open star cluster but is so close to our solar system that it does not appear that way. The Big Dipper is also a favorite target of navigation since it never goes below the horizon for many latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. In the handle of the Big Dipper is a famous double star, Alcor and Mizar. But these two stars are not actually a binary system - they simply lie close together in the sky but are physically far apart.