Little Dipper

The Little Dipper is a distinctive group of seven stars in the constellation Ursa Minor. The first star in the handle of the dipper is Polaris, the North Star. Polaris is a 2nd magnitude star, and it marks the approximate position of the North Celestial Pole. The two end stars in the bowl are known as the Guardians of the Pole. These are 2nd magnitude Kochab and 3rd magnitude Pherkad.

The Little Dipper is high in the sky during the summer months. It appears too far north in the sky to be seen from the Southern Hemisphere.