Ursa Major
Brightest star: Alioth
Ursa Major hosts the most famous stellar shape: the Big Dipper, an asterism of 7 bright stars. Alioth is the brightest. Mizar, the second-to-last in the handle, is a naked-eye double star — a classical vision test since Antiquity.
When to see it
Circumpolar in the Northern Hemisphere — visible year-round.
Mythology
Callisto, a nymph loved by Zeus, was turned into a bear by a jealous Hera. To protect her, Zeus placed her among the stars. The two stars at the end of the Dipper (Dubhe and Merak) point to Polaris — a navigation aid used for millennia.
Gift idea
Ursa Major is recognizable by everyone — a universal gift that reassures and inspires. Especially meaningful for those born in the Northern Hemisphere, where the constellation is visible every night of the year.