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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
sleep NighttimeWhat's Visible Now?
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Ursa Minor (The Lesser Bear) Constellation

Altitude: 64.4°   Azimuth: 4.2°   Direction: North

Ursa Minor (pronounced ˌɜːrsə ˈmaɪnər) is the Latin name of a constellation situated close to the northern celestial pole. As such, it is visible for most part of the year from the northern hemisphere.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Lesser bear" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "UMi" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "UMin" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Ursae Minoris" (pronounced ˌɜːrsiː mɪˈnɒrɪs) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Ursae Minoris (the brightest star of Ursa Minor based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Ursae Minoris (the 23th star in the constellation of Ursa Minor based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Ursa Minor is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt. Altitude: 64°.
Available Resources for Ursa Minor

Sky Chart of Ursa Minor Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Ursa Minor constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Ursa Minor in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Ursa Minor Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Ursa Minor is circumpolar and transits at 04:00 UTC (altitude: 64.6°)

The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations these times can have little relevance.

Bright Stars in Ursa Minor Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Ursa Minor constellation. See also the complete list of 42 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Ursa Minor. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR424 α Ursae Minoris Polaris 2.02 Variable; Multiple;
HR5563 β Ursae Minoris Kochab 2.08 Variable; Double;
HR5735 γ Ursae Minoris Pherkad 3.05 Variable;
HR6322 ε Ursae Minoris 4.23 Variable; Double;
HR5430 5 Ursae Minoris 4.25 Variable; Multiple;
HR5903 ζ Ursae Minoris 4.32 Variable;
HR6789 δ Ursae Minoris Yildun 4.36
HR5589 4.6 Variable;
HR5321 4 Ursae Minoris 4.82
HR6116 η Ursae Minoris 4.95 Double;
HR5826 θ Ursae Minoris 4.96
HR5714 11 Ursae Minoris 5.02
HR5691 5.13
HR5334 5.24 Variable;
HR6079 19 Ursae Minoris 5.48
HR5139 5.5
HR6173 5.56
HR6034 5.56
HR5844 5.62
HR5596 5.64
...go to the complete list of 42 bright stars in the constellation of Ursa Minor

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Ursa Minor Constellation

The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Ursa Minor constellation. See also the complete list of 54 deep sky objects in the constellation of Ursa Minor. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 5832 Galaxy 12.26 (V)
NGC 6251 Galaxy 12.89 (V)
NGC 5912 Galaxy 12.98 (V)
NGC 6068 Galaxy 13.01 (V)
NGC 5144 NED02 Galaxy 13.2 (B)
NGC 6324 Galaxy 13.5 (B)
NGC 5909 Galaxy 13.58 (V)
NGC 6048 Galaxy 13.6 (B)
NGC 5262 Galaxy 13.65 (V)
IC 1129 Galaxy 13.7 (B)
NGC 5939 Galaxy 13.7 (B)
NGC 6217 Galaxy 13.88 (V)
NGC 5607 Galaxy 13.9 (B)
NGC 6331 Galaxy 14 (B)
NGC 5034 Galaxy 14.1 (B)
NGC 6068A Galaxy 14.1 (V)
NGC 5452 Galaxy 14.2 (B)
NGC 5808 Galaxy 14.3 (B)
NGC 5323 Galaxy 14.3 (B)
NGC 5671 Galaxy 14.4 (B)
...go to the complete list of 54 deep sky objects in the constellation of Ursa Minor