The Big Bear, Ursa Major, is the third largest constellation in the skies, seen at northern sky in evening of spring. The constellation has no first magnitude stars, but the Big Dipper that forms the bear's tail is a rough guide on the clarity of the evening's sky. Though Ursa Major contains no bright celestial objects, it has plenty of galaxies in outer space.
Myth
Ursa Major Energy Centre Of Life
1. Triangles of Energy - Constellations
Lying behind all the many interlocking triangles in our solar system and conditioning them to a very large extent (though today more potentially than expressively) are three energies coming from three major constellations. They are the emanations from the Great Bear, from the Pleiades and from Sirius. It might be pointed out that:
The energies coming from the Great Bear are related to the will or purpose of the solar Logos and are to this great Being what the monad is to man. This is a deep mystery and one which even the highest initiate cannot yet grasp. Its sevenfold unified energies pass through Shamballa. The energies coming from the sun, Sirius, are related to the love-wisdom aspect or to the attractive power of the solar Logos, to the soul of that Great Being. This cosmic soul energy is related to the Hierarchy. You have been told that the great White Lodge on Sirius finds its reflection and a mode of spiritual service and outlet in the great White Lodge of our planet, the Hierarchy.
The energies coming from the Pleiades, an aggregation of seven energies, are connected with the active intelligent aspect of logoic expression, and influence the form side of all manifestation. They focus primarily through Humanity.
Connected with this major triangle and affecting powerfully our entire solar system is a triple interrelation of great interest, which has a special and peculiar relation to humanity. This triangle of forces relates one of these major constellations, one of the zodiacal signs and one of the sacred planets within our solar system.
First Triangle: The Pleiades - Cancer - Venus. Humanity.
Second Triangle: The Great Bear - Aries - Pluto. Shamballa.
Third Triangle: Sirius - Leo - Jupiter. Hierarchy.
I wonder if you can grasp at least partially and symbolically the fact that these triangles must not be thought of as placed, static and eternally the same, or even as three dimensional. They must be regarded as in rapid movement, revolving eternally in space and ceaselessly moving onward and as of fourth and fifth dimensional extension. There is no way of depicting them or of bringing them visually to your attention, for only the inner eye of vision can imagine their progression, position or appearance. These three major triangles are only partially as yet in expression as far as our solar system is concerned and only one point of the great triangle - as for instance one point of the Great Bear - constitutes with Aries a related line of force; only one point of Aries - within itself or within its own range of interplay with Leo and Capricorn (see Tabulation VIII) is related to Pluto. Therefore the entire cosmic web and solar system is an intricate, constantly moving, interwoven series of triangles wherein each point of a triangle emanates three lines or streams of energy (nine in all); it is likewise responsive to and receptive of the energies - likewise triple in nature - which lie within its periphery or sphere of influence and vibratory activity.
It is useless for students to attempt to unravel this aggregation of interlacing streams of energy. All that is now possible for man with his present equipment is to accept hypothetically these statements anent certain major triangles which affect humanity and seek to prove their effect and to endeavor to arrive at some understanding of that intricate, interwoven network which he himself possesses and to which he gives the name "etheric body." Thus he may succeed in proving the accuracy of a statement by the demonstrated quality of the life aspect, its conditioning and results in the microcosmic life history and events. This astrology has sought to do in connection with tangible happenings on the outer plane of existence; we, however, will see to it that our effort lies along the line of psychological life history and events and not along the line of physical occurrences. This difference is basic and must ever be borne in mind. Astrologers have begun to grasp a dim idea of the interlocking triangles of energy as far as our Earth is concerned in the rather arbitrary division of the twelve constellations into four triplicities, covered by such qualifying terms as earthy triplicity or fiery triplicity, composed each of a cardinal, a fixed and a mutable sign. They thus divide up the entire zodiac into a fourfold group of interlacing and interrelated triads, each conditioned by one of the basic elements and thus qualified. These constitute a series of basic triangles with a definite reference to our planetary life. Owing to the constant movement everywhere, inherent in the solar system and the zodiac - onward, interior and revolving - some idea can be grasped of the intricacy of the entire pattern. A further aid to the grasping of this essential beauty of coordinated and organized movement and its power to qualify and condition the entire universal pattern can be gained by those students who have studied somewhat the various triangles to be found in the etheric body of man through the interrelation of the seven centers to which I have referred elsewhere in my various books. These centers, when awakened and alive, are swept finally within the radius of each others' sphere of action; from the point of view of living energy, the circumference of these wheels or vortices of force becomes so enlarged that they eventually overlap and touch, presenting on a tiny scale a condition analogous to the contacting and interlocking series of triangles such as those referred to above.
M40
One of Messier's celestial bodies M40 is positioned about 1.5 degrees north east of delta UMa, one of stars that forms the Big Dipper. But the number of M40 is informal one, we cannot find out any noticeable nebulae nor star clusters where Messier had recorded. In present, some star charts or guidebooks provide minor double stars of "W4" as M40. This double stars with 9th magnitude is inconspicuous one without worthy of mention. Incidentally the double stars have a separation of about 50 arc seconds. You can see two small and faint galaxies just west (on right hand side of this picture) of M40, brighter one is NGC4290 and dimmed one has a number of NGC4284.
Galaxies In Ursa Major
M81
This image presents two bright galaxies just above the Big Bear's head. This pair float about 18 million light years away, can be recognized only with binoculars as two tiny light points. M82 (NGC3031) seen at the lower is a superb spiral galaxy, and forms a splendid pair with M82 (NGC3034). M82 at the upper isn't a spiral on edge, but is considered as spindle shaped. The galaxy is rather mysterious; it's thought that an explosion about 1.5 million years ago made the odd shape, M82 is famous as "The Exploding Galaxy". It's known that those galaxies had drawn near some ten millions years ago. And it's considered that the gigantic gravitational interaction in that time made the activity in M82.
M82
M82 (NGC 3034), also known as the Cigar Galaxy, is an irregular magnitude 8.8 galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. The spectacular 'explosion' of material from it's core is caused by severe gravitational disturbance, almost certainly due to a close encounter with M81, its neighbouring galaxy. M82 and M81 were both discovered in 1774 by Johann Bode, and independently by Pierre Méchain (Messier's colleague) in 1779. M82 is estimated to be 12 million light-years distant.
NGC 3077
NGC 3077 was discovered, together with NGC 2976 another faint M81 group member, by William Herschel on November 8, 1801, who assigned it the catalog number H I.286. He remarked that "On the nf (NE) side, there is a faint ray interrupting the roundness." Admiral Smyth described it as "A bright-class round nebula; it is a lucid white, and lights up in the centre. .. between these [stars,] the sky is intensely black, and shows the nebula as if floating in awful and illimitable space, at an inconceivable distance."
M97
You can find out a reddish planetary nebula of M97 at about 2 degrees southeast of beta UMa (Merak). The nebula is called "Owl Nebula" for its two dark central areas that resemble an owl's eye. The eye is revealed only in the larger telescopes. The expanding shell of its central star forms the planetary nebula. Although its size is only 3 arc minutes or so, easily detectable because of its unexpectedly bright surface. You will be able to appreciate pretty owl's face with high magnifying power over 100. The nebula is estimated about 7460 light years. And you can see another noticeable celestial body of M108 only 50 arc minutes NW of M97.
M101 (NGC5457)
M101 (NGC5457) is a vast galaxy with open spirals, equivalent size to about two-third of the Moon and about 22 million light years away. Although seen face on, it's dim and it takes a large scope and a good sky to see this nebula at its best. The galaxy is located 4 degrees east of zeta UMa (Mizar), the second star from the tip of the Big Dipper's handle, and the usual method given to find M101 is to the hop of several stars with fifth or sixth magnitude from Mizar.
M108
M108 is a faint irregular galaxy about 2 degrees southeast of beta UMa (Merak), it shows us its edge being on, and you can see a long ellipse via telescopes. It lookes like a shrinked M82, a irregular and bright galaxy in Ursa Major. The galaxy M108 has a length of about 8 arc minutes, but faint with a magnitude of 10.7, it's hard to enjoy the shape unless you have a high magnification and extremely good conditioned night. You can find out a famous planetary nebula of M97, Owl Nebula, about 50 arc minutes southeast from M108. The distance is estimated about 23 million light years.
M109 (NGC3992)
M109 (NGC3992) is a small galaxy only 40 arc minutes SE of gamma Ursae Majoris with second magnitude that marks one of the cup of Big Dipper. The bright star can be seen in this photo in the upper right hand side. The galaxy has a size of about 8 arc minutes and a magnitude of only 10.6; it's one of the most indistinct objects in the Messier's Catalogue. Now, the major catalogue of celestial objects has 110 members. But M110 (one of satellite galaxies of the Andromeda Galaxy, M31) is unauthorized number; in short, it can be said that M109 is the "genuine" last object in Messier's. You can detect the galaxy as a normal dimmed light with naked eyes through medium-sized telescopes. And the bar-like structures stretching from central bright region can be taken in long exposure photographs.
NGC2841
NGC2841 is a bright spiral at a claw of Big Bear's forefoot. This picture shows you a dimmed figure like a elliptic galaxy, and bright nucleus and dark lane crossing in slant can be seen. Big telescopes will give you an image with arms coiled up tightly. The galaxy has a long axis of about 8 arc minutes and a visual magnitude of 10.
NGC3079
NGC3079 is a galaxy at around the root of Big Bear's forefoot. You can find out it about 8.3 degrees west of beta UMa. The galaxy has been classified in spiral galaxy, but it's an edge-on and has an irregular structures. The galaxy has a length of over 7 arc minutes, its slender shape can be enjoyed with a medium-sized telescopes.
NGC3184
NGC3184 is a dimmed spiral galaxy positioned at only 45 arc minutes west of mu Ursae Majoris that forms the tip of Big Bear's one of hind legs. It's almost on a boundary on Leo Minor. The galaxy has a visual brightness of 10.5, but it looks fainter than this magnitude so it's fairly difficult to distinguish its detailed structure through telescopes. Though this picture is a bit noisy, you can see NGC3184 as a typical face-on galaxy and two arms coiled up loosely. And the galaxy is about 7 arc minutes in diameter.
NGC 3718
NGC 3718 is a highly disturbed galaxy in Ursa Major. Astronomers originally thought that NGC 3718 was a Lenticular Galaxy. However later photos showed two faint extensions that emerge from the envelope on opposite sides of the periphery, showing that it is most likely a spiral galaxy. The galaxy forms an interacting pair with NGC 4753 (outside of the Kopernik image above). The distance to NGC 3718 is roughly 52 Million Light Years.
Some astronomers include NGC 3718 in the class of galaxies with active nuclei known as LINERs (Low-Ionization Nuclear Emission-line Regions). Others classify it as Seyfert galaxy. Many astronomers believe that active galactic nuclei are powered by giant black holes lurking in the center.
NGC 3718 is also known as Arp 214, and is in Arp's class of "galaxies with irregularities, absorption and resolution". Arp noted that the galaxy is a "Barred spiral, (with a) sharp nucleus, narrow absorption lanes through center".
NGC2787
NGC2787 is a spiral galaxy lying in northwest region of Ursa Major. The galaxy can be found out about 3 degrees west from the Bode's Galaxies (M81 & M82). NGC2787 has a round apparent shape, and no major features. A dimmed light is surrounding bright core.
NGC3945
NGC3945 is a minor galaxy with a long axis of 5 arc minutes positioned near midway between alpha and beta UMa. The galaxy is classified in indistinct bared galaxies. A bright nucleus is surrounded by rather dimmed region and furthermore very indistinct light encircles inner structures. Medium-sized telescopes can show you only central features, it's difficult to detect outer dimmed part.
Our Sun and solar system are embedded in a broad pancake of stars deep within the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. Even from a distance, it is impossible to see our galaxy's large-scale features other than the disk.
The next best thing is to look farther out into the universe at galaxies that are similar in shape and structure to our home galaxy. Other spiral galaxies like NGC 3949, pictured in the Hubble image, fit the bill. Like our Milky Way, this galaxy has a blue disk of young stars peppered with bright pink star-birth regions. In contrast to the blue disk, the bright central bulge is made up of mostly older, redder stars.
NGC 3949 lies about 50 million light-years from Earth. It is a member of a loose cluster of some six or seven dozens of galaxies located in the direction of the Big Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). It is one of the larger galaxies of this cluster.
NGC 3982
NGC 3982: A team of European astronomers is using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to look back in time. They have imaged the spiral galaxy NGC 3982 and hundreds of other galaxies in the hope that one of the millions of stars in these images will some day explode as a supernova. They can then look back and pinpoint the exact star that has exploded. Only two such supernova 'mother stars' have ever been identified.
NGC4088
This is a compact but unique-shaped galaxy NGC4088. You can find out the galaxy around the midway of M106 and M109. The galaxy has a long axis of 6 arc minutes, a dimmed elliptic light can be detected through medium-sized telescopes. This galaxy has been classified in spiral galaxies but it has also some features of bared galaxies. It can be seen that NGC4088 has a pair of S-shaped stretched arms and another pair coiled up tightly.
NGC4157
NGC4157 is an edge-on galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. You can find out uncountable small galaxies in this star field, it's difficult to identify individuals. You can catch this minor one around midway of M109 and M106, two major galaxies with Messier's ID. The galaxy has an apparent size of 6 x 1 arc minutes and fainter than 12th magnitude. This image shows you a very inconspicuous central nucleus.
NGC 5474
NGC 5474 is an asymmetric spiral galaxy and it it is being dramatically disturbed by its much larger neighbor M101. With respect to this image, M101 is several fields away towards the upper left direction. At first glance, it might appear that M101 is somehow gravitationally dragging the nucleus right out of NGC 5474. However, astronomers that model these kinds of galactic interactions on a computer find a slightly different story. When using tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of point masses for stars, astronomers found that the asymmetry displayed in NGC 5474 is probably relatively short lived. We just happen to be looking at this galaxy in a state of "sloshed" agitation. As NGC 5474 orbits M101, the amount of asymmetry depends of the relationship between the direction of orbital revolution about M101 and the sense of rotation for NGC 5474's disk. If the revolution is opposite that of disk rotation, as it is in the case of NGC 5474, then the lopsided state can survive for many galactic rotations after an initial (strong) tidal perturbation.
Note that the seemingly grainy appearence of this galaxy is due to partially resolving some of the brighter stars in the disk (v=20-21). A healthy sprinkling of pink starforming regions, and blue (young) stellar associations can also be seen along the spiral structure of the galaxy.
NGC 3953
Like its more well-known neighbor M109, this galaxy is a surprising copy-cat barred spiral galaxy. Slightly more inclined and with tightly wound arms NGC 3953 is a seemingly more spirited galaxy 46 million light years away. In 2001 astronomers discovered a supernova in this galaxy. Also note the bright background galaxy near the top of the image.
NGC2685
In western region of Ursa Major, a small galaxy lying in just the mouth of Big Bear is NGC2685. The galaxy has a long axis of 5 arc minutes and a visual brightness of 11th magnitude, showing us as an edge-on galaxy facing its side. Large telescopes have captured several gaseous rings surrounding its bulge, given nicknames of "Helix Galaxy" or "Polar Ring Galaxy".
NGC 3631
NGC 3631 has two prominent arms and is magnitude 10.4. NGC 3718 is interacting with NGC 3729; NGC 3718 is the brighter of the two and has a dust lane cutting through the nucleus. NGC 3738 and NGC 3756 are a bit harder to find being close to 12th magnitude.
IC 2574
IC2574 lying northern region of Ursa Major. The galaxy has a long axis of 13 arc minutes and has no major structures. It's a minor deepsky object floating 3 degrees ESE of Bode's Galaxies (M81 & M82).
Planetary Destinations In Ursa Major
HD 89744
Parent Star: HD 89744 in the constellation of Ursa Major is located at a distance of 130.46 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 10 22 10.5621 & Declination: +41 13 46.308. HD 89744 is an F7 V star with mass 1.4 M , effective temperature 6166 K, age 2.0 Gy and metallicity [Fe/H]= 0.18. The radial velocity of the star has been monitored with the AFOE spectrograph at the Whipple Observatory since 1996, and evidence has been found for a low mass companion. The data were complemented by additional data from the Hamilton spectrograph at Lick Observatory during the companion's periastron passage in fall 1999. As a result, we have determined the star's orbital wobble to have period P = 256 d, orbital amplitude K = 257 m/s, and eccentricity e = 0.7. From the stellar mass we infer that the companion has minimum mass m2 sin i = 7.2 MJup in an orbit with semi-major axis a2 = 0.88 AU. The eccentricity of the orbit, among the highest known for extra-solar planets, continues the trend that extra-solar planets with semi-major axes greater than about 0.15 AU tend to have much higher eccentricities than are found in our solar system. The high metallicity of the parent star reinforces the trend that parent stars of extra-solar planets tend to have high metallicity Orbiting around HD 89744 is planet HD 89744 b the planet is believed to be a Clarified Jovian, Eccentric and its exitence has been Confirmed. The planets appearance is blue and cloudless and the estimated mass of the planet is 7.99 Jupiters, and was discovered by Korzennik, Brown, Fischer, Nisenson, Noyes (AFOE) in 2000. Detection method used was Doppler Spectroscopy.
HD 80606
Parent Star: HD 80606 in the constellation of Ursa Major is located at a distance of 190.41 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 09 22 37.5679 & Declination: 50 36 13.397. Orbiting around HD 80606 is planet HD 80606 b the planet is believed to be a sulfurous cloud jovian, eccentric planet and its exitence has been Confirmed. The planets appearance is Sulfur stained clouds of water or H2SO4 and the estimated mass of the planet is 3.41 Jupiters, and was discovered by Michel Mayor, Dominique Naef, Francesco Pepe, Didier Queloz, Nuno C. Santos, Stephane Udry, Michel Burnet in 2001. Detection method used was Doppler Spectroscopy. Planetary companion orbiting the solar-type star HD 80606, the brighter component of a wide binary with a projected separation of about 2000 AU. Using high-signal spectroscopic observations of the two components of the visual binary, we show that they are nearly identical. The planet has an orbital period of 111.8 days and a minimum mass of . With e = 0.927, this planet has the highest orbital eccentricity among the extrasolar planets detected so far. Planet at inner edge of Habitable Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.439 AU.
HD 68988
Parent Star: HD 68988 in the constellation of Ursa Major is located at a distance of 189.17 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 08 18 22.1731 & Declination: +61 27 38.599. Orbiting around HD 68988 is planet HD 68988 b the planet is believed to be a Dark Hot Jupiter. The planets and its exitence has been Confirmed. The planets appearance is Dark sodium haze and the estimated mass of the planet is 1.9 Jupiters , and was discovered by Vogt S., Butler P., Marcy G., Fischer D., Pourbaix D., Apps K., & Laughlin G in 2001. Detection method used was Doppler Spectroscopy.
Parent Star: Lalande 21185 in the constellation of Ursa Major is located at a distance of 8.25 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 11 03 22.5 & Declination: +35 62 00. Orbiting around Lalande 21185 are planets Lalande 21185 b and Lalande 21185 c. Lalande 21185 is the fourth system closest to Sol after Alpha Centauri 3, Barnard's Star, and Wolf 359. The star is located only about 8.3 light-years away in the southeastern corner (11:03:20.19+35:58:11.55, ICRS 2000.0) of Constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear which also encompasses the Big Dipper -- northwest of Alula Borealis (Nu Ursae Majoris). It is about three times too faint to be seen with the naked eye.
Lalande 21185 b is believed to be a methane cloud jovian. The planets and its exitence has been Unpublished. The planets appearance is Blue with methane clouds and hazes and the estimated mass of the planet is 0.9 Jupiters and was discovered by George Gatewood in 1996. Detection method used was Optical Astrometry.Speculations If Lalande 21185 was a yellow dwarf, like our sun, then Lalande 21185 b and 47 Ursae Majoris b could be considered sister worlds. Both worlds have masses similar to Jupiter. Both are in similar orbits. If Lalande 21185 was a yellow dwarf, then Lalande 21185 b might be orbited by moons with liquid water. But Lalande 21185 is a red dwarf star, cool and dim. Lalande 21185 b is more akin to Saturn or Uranus than it's warmer extrasolar cousins. Like Jupiter, Lalande 21185 b's atmosphere is probably mostly hydrogen and helium. It's moons are frozen and barren, composed mostly of water, methane, and ammonia ice, with little if any rocky core, like the moons of Saturn and Uranus. Moons that orbit close to the planet may be heated enough to form gysers of liquid methane, such as the ones on Neptune's moon Triton, but not enough for underground oceans or vulcanism. These desolate moons offer little hope for life.
G 196-3 (M2.5)
Parent Star: G 196-3 (M2.5) in the constellation of Ursa Major is located at a distance of 50.2 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 10 04 22.00 & Declination: +50 23 23.0. Orbiting around G 196-3 is planet G 196-3 b the planet is believed to be a brown dwarf and its exitence has been imaged. The planets appearance is Brown and the planet is possioned out side the habitabilty zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 300 AU. The estimated mass of the planet is 25 Jupiters, and was discovered by Rebolo et al in 1998.
Parent Star: Q 0957+561 in the constellation of Ursa Major is located at a distance of 7830000000 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 10 01 21.05 & Declination: +55 53 56.5. Orbiting around Q 0957+561 is planet Q 0957+561 b the planet is believed to be a extragalactic planet and its exitence has been unconfirmable - Detected via Microlensing . The planets appearance is unknown and the estimated mass of the planet is 3 Earths, and was discovered by R. E. Schild in 1996. Detection method used was gravitational microlensing. Their seem to be seven planets and one moon orbiting around Einstein Cross in the lensing galaxy. QO957+561 Has been confirmed by gravitational microlensing and the other 6 planets were found using interstellar travel mapping technique on the 24 January 2003 how ever vulcan mistori was first visited on the 16th august 1996 by wingmaker732 and was found to have three moons orbiting around it vulcan is the 3rd planet found orbiting around Q 0957+561 in the Mistori Solar System
SpeculationsThe possible earth sized planet in the foreground galaxy of Q0957+561 is the farthest of all detected extrasolar worlds. And because of the unusual method used to detect it, we know virtually nothing about this planet, and probably will not get another chance to find out. Q0957+561 is a quazar whose image is gravitationally lensed by a galaxy which lies directly in the line of sight between it and our own world. The foreground galaxy splits the quazar's image into two lobes, labeled A and B. The properties of this gravitational lens is that if both lobes fluctuate in some way, then the fluctuation is occuring in the quazar. If the fluctuation occurs only in one of the lobes, however, the fluctuation is due to the forground galaxy.
What astronomers discovered was a minute fluctuation in the A lobe, but no corrosponding fluctuation in the B lobe. The fluctuation was consistant with what is expected if a planet in the foreground galaxy passed in front of the quazar. The magnitude and duration of the fluctuation indicates that the planet is only a few times the mass of the earth.
Unfortunately that's all we know. We have no idea if the planet orbits a star, what kind of star it may be, or what kind of an orbit the planet is in. All we know is the galaxy and the mass.
Given this near total lack of knowledge, we cannot even begin to speculate about this solar system.
HD 98230 (F8.5 V)
Parent Star: HD 98230 (F8.5 V) in the constellation of Ursa Major is located at a distance of 25.11 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 11 18 12.5 & Declination: +31 32 15. Orbiting around HD 98230 is planet HD 98230 b the planet is believed to be a brown dwarf and its exitence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is unknown and the estimated mass of the planet is 37 Jupiters, and orbital period is 3.98 Days. Discovered by Bergman in 1931.
HD 118203
No More Data At this time.
