This episode of Astronomycast is brought to you by Swinburn Astronomy Online, the world's longest running online astronomy degree program.

Visit astronomy.swin.edu.au for more information.

Astronomycast, episode 227 from Monday, April 4, 2011, The Big Dipper.

Welcome to Astronomycast, our weekly facts based journey through the cosmos, where you help you understand not only what we know, but how we know what we know.

My name is Fraser Kane, I'm the publisher of Universe Today, and with me is Dr. Pamela Gaia Professor at Southern Illinois University, Everestville. How are you doing?

I'm doing well. How are you doing, Fraser?

Good, little under the weather. We were going to record yesterday, and I was just totally out of it.

So, but it's like a one day cold, I'm not sure, but I'm feeling miles better.

Oh, that's, I'm so glad. It seems like this is the summer where everyone is getting sick, and yeah.

Well, the worst thing is when both parents are sick, you know, so me and my way for sick, and then the kids look why you guys so lame.

It's bad with your old kids say you're lazy.

Yeah, exactly. Come on, we want to do something. Oh, watch TV.

We was alone. So, so we're a lot better tomorrow, and definitely a lot better today.

All right, well, we want to just spend a few shows talking about some of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky.

We've chatted about Orion Hunter, and now we're going to talk about the Big Dipper, also known as Ersa Majorus, or the Great Bear.

Apologies to our Southern hemisphere listeners. All right, Pamela. So, do you know where the Big Dipper is?

I actually do. Yeah, me too. It's like if you live in the Northern hemisphere, if you've ever looked in the sky, you've got to know where the Big Dipper is.

But it's, you know, it's one of those constellations, same with Orion, that it is on the surface really recognizable, easy to find, and yet as we're about to get into, it's got inner bigness.

Yes. So, can you give it like a little bit of like history, or like where should we start on this one?

Well, I think the place to start is there's probably already people out there going, the Big Dipper's not a constellation.

It's an asterism there. Right, exactly. Gotcha. Yes. But it is a part of Ersa Majorus, so.

Right. And the thing is, in many cultures, the main stars, the seven stars that we see as the Big Dipper are what are the constellation in just not Greek constellation sets.

...