What are the stars in the Plough?

THE Plough, also known as The Big Dipper, is one of the most well-known monuments in the night sky.

It earned its named for its shape, with four bright stars making up a bowl and three bright stars forming a handle. 

Arcturus, part of constellation Boötes, is the fourth brightest star in the sky, and the brightest in the northern hemisphere

What are the stars in the Plough?

The Plough is made up of seven stars: Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Alioth, Megrez, Mizar, and Alkaid.

Is Orion’s belt part of the Plough?

Orion’s belt, or The Hunter constellation, is not part of the Plough – and the Plough isn’t part of Orion, either.

The Plough is actually part of a bigger constellation called Ursa Major, also known as The Great Bear.

As part of Ursa Major, The Plough makes up the bear’s hindquarters and tail high in the North-East sky.

Ursa Major is one of the most famous constellations, with the exception of Orion – so it’s understandable how the two may be confused.

However, they are distinct in shape.

What is the bright star to the left of the Plough?

The bright star to the left of the Plough is Arcturus, a red dwarf that can be seen with the naked eye just before sunset.

Arcturus, part of constellation Boötes, is the fourth brightest star in the sky, and the brightest in the northern hemisphere.

Then over to the right, is Polaris, otherwise known as the North Star.

If you draw an imaginary line straight from the bottom-right corner of the bowl to the top-right corner and beyond, the next brightest star you’ll reach is the North Star.

Diagonally to the right of the Plough is the North Star