The Night Sky: The Big Dipper

Hello star gazers,

This image of the Big Dipper was taken Oct. 28, 2010. It is a 25-second exposure using a Cannon T1i camera with a 15mm Lens @ F/5.

Big Dipper info …

The Big Dipper is low in the Northwest this time of year. You must have a clear view to the north without any buildings or trees to be able to find it. During the summer it’s high in the sky and upside down, but this time of year it’s orientated to look like a drinking dipper.

The Big Dipper is a group of seven stars that looks like a drinking dipper or a plough. The plough description fits well in this case since this picture was taken near a farm. 

Star info …

With stars looking like pinpoints of light it’s easy to forget that they are very hot, very big, and very distant. They just look small because they are so far away. For example, if the Sun were hollow, a million Earths could fit inside it. The stars of the Big Dipper are hotter, brighter, and bigger than our Sun. When compared to the distance of our sun, the dipper stars are extremely far away. It takes, on average, about 90 years for the light from the Big Dipper stars to reach Earth. It only takes about 8 minutes for the Sun’s light to reach us.

So next time you see the twinkling stars of the Big Dipper, keep in mind that you are seeing it as it was almost 100 years ago.