World Book at NASA for Students
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The Big and Little Dippers are two groups of stars that are shaped like dippers, or cups with long handles.
The Big Dipper has seven stars. A line through the two stars at the front of the cup -- from bottom to top -- points to the North Star.
The Little Dipper has very faint stars and is not always easy to see. The North Star is at the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper.
Image to right: The Big Dipper is the group of seven stars shown in the top illustration in yellow. It is part of a larger group called Ursa Major, or the Big Bear. The Little Dipper is almost all of the stars in Ursa Minor, or the Little Bear. The North Star is at the top of the dipper's handle. Credit: World Book illustration by Eileen Mueller Neill
How to cite this article: To cite this article, World Book recommends the following format: "Big and Little Dippers." The World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2005.
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