Ursa Minor
The Little Bear holds the North Star
Best on March–May evenings · far-northern sky (circumpolar for much of the northern hemisphere).
Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, is a small circumpolar constellation anchored by one of the most practically important stars in the sky: Polaris, the North Star. It traces a faint ladle shape — often called the Little Dipper — with Polaris at the tip of the handle and a small bowl of stars curving away from it. From most of the northern hemisphere it never sets, wheeling around the celestial pole night after night.
How to find it
From northern latitudes, Ursa Minor is up every clear night of the year, but it rides highest on spring evenings when it climbs nearly overhead. The easiest way in is through the Big Dipper: take the two stars at the outer lip of its bowl and follow them in a straight line — they point almost exactly to Polaris. Once you have Polaris, the faint Little Dipper curves back from it toward the two brightest bowl stars, Kochab and Pherkad.
Brightest stars
Polaris anchors the tip of the handle at magnitude 2.02, holding its position above the north celestial pole while every other star wheels around it. Kochab, at the outer rim of the bowl, shines close behind at magnitude 2.08, making the two stars nearly identical in brightness at a quick glance.
Worth seeing
The real prize here is Polaris itself — not the brightest star in the sky by any means, but the only one that stays fixed while the whole northern sky rotates around it, making it the single most useful navigation star ever identified.
Frequently asked
When is Ursa Minor visible?
For most northern hemisphere observers it's circumpolar — meaning it never sets and is visible on every clear night. It rides highest in the sky on spring evenings, roughly March through May.
What are the main stars in Ursa Minor?
Polaris (magnitude 2.02) marks the tip of the handle and sits almost exactly over the north pole. Kochab (2.08) and Pherkad (3.05) form the bright outer edge of the bowl, with Yildun (4.36) along the handle.
Which hemisphere can see Ursa Minor?
Ursa Minor is a northern hemisphere constellation. From mid- to high northern latitudes it's circumpolar all year; from the tropics only parts of it climb above the horizon, and from the southern hemisphere it stays below the horizon entirely.
Nearby constellations
Draco · Cepheus · Ursa Major · Cassiopeia · Lyra · Cygnus · Boötes · Hercules