'Ursa Major' is the scientific name for one of the constellations of stars. Its common English name is

'Ursa Major' is the scientific name for one of the constellations of stars. Its common English name is The Great Bear. The constellation Ursa Major contains the group of stars commonly called the Big Dipper. The handle of the Dipper is the Great Bear's tail and the Dipper's cup is the Bear's flank. The Big Dipper is not a constellation itself, but an asterism, which is a distinctive group of stars.