09/02/2021 – Ephemeris – Finding the Little Dipper

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Thursday, September 2nd. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 10 minutes, setting at 8:17, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:07. The Moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:55 tomorrow morning.

10 p.m. is the best time now to spot the Little Dipper. It is difficult to spot, being much smaller and dimmer than the Big Dipper. However, it is the Big Dipper that points to it, by the two stars at the front of the bowl which point to the North Star, Polaris, the star that doesn’t appear to move. That star is the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper. The handle is seen as a curve of stars upward and to the left to a small box of stars that is its bowl. The two brighter stars at the front of the bowl are called the Guard Stars because in the past they were thought to be guardians of the pole. The Little Dipper is not an official constellation, but is Ursa Minor the lesser bear. To the Anishinaabe native peoples of this area, it represents Maang the loon.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hr). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Little Dipper finder animation. The Little Dipper is also Ursa Major and the Loon. Polaris is the Pole Star and North Star. The Guard Stars are Kochab and Pherkad. Except for the named stars, the Little Dipper stars are quite faint and require moonless skies away from the city to spot. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.