URSA

, in Astronomy, the Bear, a name common to two constellations of the northern hemisphere, near the pole, distinguished by Major and Minor.

Ursa Major, or the Great Bear, one of the 48 old constellations, and perhaps more ancient than many of the others; being familiarly known and alluded to by the oldest writers, and is mentioned by Homer as observed by navigators. It is supposed that this constellation is that mentioned in the book of Job, under the name of Chesil, which our translation has rendered Orion, where it is said, “Canst thou loose the bands of Chesil (Orion)?” It is farther said that the Ancients represented each of these two constellations under the form of a waggon drawn by a team of horses, and the Greeks originally called them waggons and two bears; they are to this day popularly called the wains, or waggons, and the greater of them Charles's Wain. Hence is remarked the propriety of the expression, “loose the bands &c,” the binding and loosing being terms very applicable to a harness, &c.

Perhaps the Egyptians, or whoever else were the people that invented the constellations, placed those stats, which are near the pole, in the figure of a bear, as being an animal inhabiting towards the north pole, and making neither long journeys, nor swist motions. But the Greeks, in their usual way, have adapted some of their fables to it. They say this bear was Callisto, daughter of Lycaon, king of Arcadia; that being debauched by Jupiter, he afterwards placed her in the heavens, as well as her son Arcturus.

The Greeks called this constellation Arctos and Helice, from its turning round the pole. The Latins from the name of the nymph, as variously written, Callisto, Megisto, and Flemisto, and from the Arabians, sometimes Feretrum Majus, the Great Bier. And the Ursa Minor, they called Feretrum Minus, the Little Bier. The Italians have followed the same custom, and call them Cataletto. They spoke also of the Phenicians being guided by the Lesser Bear, but the Greeks by the Greater.

There are two remarkable stars in this constellation, viz, those in the middle of his body, considered as the two hindermost of the wain, and called the pointers, because they always point nearly in a direction towards the north pole star, and so are useful in finding this star out.

The stars in Ursa Major, are, according to Ptolomy's catalogue, 35; in Tycho's 56; in Hevelius's 73; but in the Britannic catalogue 87.

Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, called also Arctos Minor, Phœnice, and Cynosura, one of the 48 old constellations, and near the north pole, the large star in the tip of its tale being very near to it, and thence called the pole-star.

The Phenicians guided their navigations by this constellation, for which reason it was called Phenice, or the Phenician constellation. It was also called Cynosura by the Greeks, because, according to some, that was one of the dogs of the huntress Callisto, or the Great Bear; but according to others Cynosura was one of the Idæan nymphs that nursed the infant Jupiter; and some say that Callisto was another of them, and that, for their care, they were taken up together to the skies.

Ptolomy places in this constellation 8 stars, Tycho 7, Hevelius 12, and Flamsteed 24.