this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (6 children)

Why do Americans call this the Big Dipper? What even is a dipper?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

A dipper is like a large ladle and is used more for transferring a large amount of liquid rather than serving. Oftentimes, the end will be more squared off with a flat bottom.

To me, these two constellations look very much like dippers and it's difficult to see them as bears.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I’m from the UK, we call it The Plough.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

That makes sense. I can definitely see that. Do you have a different name for Ursa Minor? We call it the Little Dipper here, but I'm assuming that's not the case on your side of the pond.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

In the Netherlands we call this "the big bear", which is an even more bullshit name, if you ask me.

[–] Tar_alcaran 15 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

But at least "big bear" is consistent. That's literally what Ursa Major means, and that the name it had basically for 2000 years now.

The reason it doesn't remotely look like a bear is because this is just the ass and tail. The whole thing looks like this:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Ursa_Major_IAU.svg/1280px-Ursa_Major_IAU.svg.png

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

A old timey ladle with a flat bottom.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

It’s the cooking pot looking part of Ursa Major

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Otava master race

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

You put it in a septic tank to get the poop out