@wolfgang59 saidWe still call it the Big Dipper.
Watched Mel Gibson's Patriot the other night.
In an early scene they referred to Ursa Major as "The Big Dipper"!
Historically inaccurate. Would probably have called it "The Plough"
as Brits still call it.
Apart from that it was a history lesson. 😉
Any nationalities got weird names for the Big Bear?
@wolfgang59
Asians refer to it as the great she bear ( the third largest constilation in the northern hemisphere)
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@wolfgang59
The Big Dipper is not a constellation. It's an asterism -- a group of
stars that is part of a larger constellation, in this case Ursa Major.
These days, the Big Dipper is a rap artist.
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@handyandy saidDidn't he did in a plane crash back in the 50's?
@wolfgang59
The Big Dipper is not a constellation. It's an asterism -- a group of stars that is part of a larger constellation, in this case Ursa Major.
These days, the Big Dipper is a rap artist.
😛😃
@handyandy saidIf I had said asterism it would have wasted folks time looking it up!
@wolfgang59
The Big Dipper is not a constellation. It's an asterism -- a group of
stars that is part of a larger constellation, in this case Ursa Major.
These days, the Big Dipper is a rap artist.
@wolfgang59 saidLooking things up is never a waste of time. That's how folks learn things.
If I had said asterism it would have wasted folks time looking it up!
@wolfgang59 saidAccording to Wikipedia:
I know.
It wasnt prior to 1800s
"The folk song, 'Follow the Drinking Gourd,' gave runaway slaves directions to
follow the Big Dipper to get to north. In Africa, the seven stars were sometimes
seen as a drinking gourd, which is believed to be the origin of the name Big
Dipper, most commonly used for the figuration in the U.S. and Canada."
@handyandy saidI agree ... but the folk doing the looking up may not.
Looking things up is never a waste of time. That's how folks learn things.
@wolfgang59 saidThe film has been criticized for its historical inaccuracies.
Apart from that it was a history lesson. 😉
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/22/the-patriot-mel-gibson-reel-history
@handyandy saidHence the 😉
The film has been criticized for its historical inaccuracies.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/22/the-patriot-mel-gibson-reel-history
The film is complete historical hog-wash.
Of all the mistakes in it I had never seen anyone reference the Big Dipper mistake.