Little Dipper

Little Dipper, constellation of the northern sky, situated close to the Big Dipper. Known to the Romans as Ursa Minor, or Little Bear, the Little Dipper may be found on winter evenings to the left of and above the Big Dipper, with its handle pointed upward. Polaris, or Alpha (a) Ursae Minoris, commonly known as the North Star, or polestar, marks the end of the handle of the Little Dipper; presently the polestar is situated slightly less than 1° from the North Pole. The North Star is a second-magnitude star, the brightest in the constellation.