I often wonder how many people have lost interest in astronomy because, try as they might, they just cannot find the Great Bear, or Ursa Major, in the sky. I know I went through this frustration as a kid. In fact, I never did find the thing.

It wasn't because I didn't try. Oh, I tried! In fact, I must admit that — even after all these years — I've still never seen the Great Bear in the sky. Of course, now I know why. There is no Great Bear in the sky!

What most people can see, however, is the Big Dipper. This is not actually a constellation, but only a part of Ursa Major. It forms, instead, an "asterism," a group of stars that resembles something familiar — in this case, a dipper. The four bright stars that outline the Big Dipper's bowl also make up the back end of the bear while the three stars of its handle form the bear's long, curved tail.

Now, while I've never seen a bear in the sky, I have seen them here on Earth. And not one has had a long, curving tail. But that's OK; ancient Greek mythology explains it all.

You see, it all came about when Zeus, the king of all Greek gods, flung this bear into the heavens by its tail, stretching it into the shape it now has. And since the ancient Greeks probably saw few bears, I'm sure the idea seemed reasonable to them.

Native American tribes (many of whom, interestingly, also knew these seven stars as part of a large bear) saw the three stars of the Dipper's handle not as a tail, but as three boys chasing a bear. Because they saw bears every day, I tend to trust their interpretation a bit more.

Regardless, I've never seen the great celestial bear — with or without a long curving tail. But right now he's sniffing the northern horizon shortly after dark. Stargazers with houses or mountains in that direction might have to wait a few hours until it rises a bit in the northeast.

So you can try to find the Great Bear if you like. It's actually a fun exercise — and some of you who are far more imaginative than I might just find him.

But for the rest of us ... well, let me quote my East Coast relatives: "Fuhgetaboutit!"

To find out more about Dennis Mammana and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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