Why Is Ursa Major So Important

326 Words2 Pages
Ursa Major is greatly known because part of it makes up the big dipper which contains the brightest stars of Ursa Major. Out of all of the constellations Ursa Major is one of the oldest. It is the third largest constellation in the sky, taking up 1279.66 square degrees and is the largest Northern constellation. Ursa Major is Latin for The Great Bear. The Romans referred to Ursa Major as Septentrio. Throughout all of history Ursa Major has had many different names and many different stories, here is one of the many myths of Ursa Major.
One of the myths about Ursa Major is the myth of Callisto, a beautiful young woman who promised chastity to Artemis the goddess. After promising this Zeus saw her and fell in love with her and they had a son,