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Dubhe

What's in a Name: Arabic for "bear"
Claim to Fame: One of the famous Pointer stars that point to the North Star.
Type of Star: Orange Giant
How Far Away: 75 light years away
How Bright: 100 times brighter than the Sun
Where to View: Brightest star in Ursa Major.
When to View:All year round in the Northern Hemisphere

Dubhe is called a Pointer star because it points to the North Star, Polaris. Start with Dubhe and draw an imaginary line through its neighbor, Merak. Continue the line north and you will reach Polaris.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA