Which constellation is also known as the Little Bear?

Which constellation is also known as the Little Bear? Ursa Minor is the constellation known as the Little Bear.

Its Latin name means “smaller bear,” contrasting with Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Ursa Minor lies in the far northern sky and is one of the 88 constellations officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union.

The constellation is especially important because its brightest star, Polaris, lies close to the north celestial pole. This made Ursa Minor a valuable navigational guide for mariners. Its seven principal stars also form the Little Dipper, an asterism often confused with the much larger Big Dipper in Ursa Major.

Ursa Minor was among the 48 constellations described by the ancient astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. In Greek tradition it was associated with a bear, although legends vary about how the two celestial bears came to occupy the sky.