✦ Ursa Major (UMa)
✦ Ursa Major (UMa)
Subfolder of: Fixed Stars · Constellations
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| IAU name | Ursa Major |
| IAU abbreviation | UMa |
| Latin genitive (used in Bayer names) | Ursae Majoris |
| Zodiacal constellation | No |
| Ptolemaic constellation | Yes — one of Ptolemy’s 48 (Almagest VII–VIII) |
Constellations are not the same as the tropical signs: the signs are 30° divisions measured from the March equinox, while constellations are IAU sky regions of unequal size. Precession has moved the constellations roughly one sign-width against the tropical zodiac since antiquity.
Vault stars in Ursa Major
| Star | Designation | λ J2000.0 | λ 2026.0 | V mag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phecda | γ Ursae Majoris | 0°28′ Virgo | 0°50′ Virgo | 2.44 |
| Alkaid | η Ursae Majoris | 26°56′ Virgo | 27°18′ Virgo | 1.86 |
Sources
- IAU, The Constellations (88 official constellations, abbreviations): https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/
- Swiss Ephemeris fixed-star catalogue
sefstars.txt(ICRS/Hipparcos-based positions, proper motions, magnitudes): https://github.com/aloistr/swisseph/blob/master/ephe/sefstars.txt — ecliptic longitudes computed for this vault with Astropy 8.0 (GeocentricMeanEcliptic, mean equinox of J2000.0 and of 2026-01-01) - Ptolemy, Almagest VII–VIII (star catalogue of 48 constellations), trans. G. J. Toomer (1984)