The Big Dipper Holds a Celestial Surprise—Here's How to See the 'Horse and Rider'
Summer is a good time to view the Big Dipper because it's high in the northern sky during the evening. The Big Dipper is not a constellation itself, but an asterism within the constellation Ursa Major. It's visible throughout the year in the Northern Hemisphere, but it's most prominent during the spring and summer.
Related: A New Dwarf Planet Has Joined Our Solar System's Family—Meet Pluto's 'Extreme Cousin'
This means that there's a better chance you'll be able to spot some of the hidden gems found in this star grouping. For example, the middle star in the Dipper's handle, known as Mizar, has a fainter companion by the name of Alcor, which is derived from Arabic, meaning faint one.
Mizar and Alcor were known as the "Horse and Rider" as early as the ancient Arabian writer Al Firuzabadi. You can spot them with the naked eye, if you look carefully, but binoculars provide a better view.
You'll also want to see the Big Dipper while you can. Of the seven stars that make up the recognizable grouping, five are hurtling through space at roughly the same speed and the same direction, according Space.com. But two of the seven stars appear to be rushing at greater speeds in the opposite direction. This will slowly alter the form of the Big Dipper. But don't worry, it'll stay the same for about the next 25,000 years.
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