Dictionary term
Phecda
Direct answer
Phecda is Gamma Ursae Majoris, a white main-sequence star forming the lower inner corner of the Big Dipper's bowl.
Phecda is the bowl star opposite Dubhe in the Big Dipper.
Phecda is the bowl star opposite Dubhe in the Big Dipper.
A symbolic locator, not a substitute for an observational chart at a specific place and time.Quick reference
- Use when
- Join Merak to Phecda across the bowl's base, then extend southward toward nearby deep-sky fields.
- Do not use it for
- The bowl shape is a perspective pattern; the moving group itself extends beyond the seven famous stars.
- Reference category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related terms
- Merak, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar
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The story behind Phecda
Its Arabic-derived name refers to the thigh of the Great Bear.
Phecda in spiritual tradition
Phecda turns a bear's thigh and a dipper's corner into the same enduring point.
Phecda: fact and faith, kept distinct
This is a factual sky reference. It can support wonder and orientation without turning a measured position or inherited pattern into a claim of fate or private revelation.
Phecda in numerology
Phecda is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Phecda matters
Its place completes the four-star bowl and supports star hops toward galaxies beneath Ursa Major.
Phecda at work: an example
Phecda shares space motion with most central Dipper stars as part of the Ursa Major Moving Group.
Where interpretation stops
Phecda is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- IAU Division C Working Group on Star Names - Official IAU working group responsible for standardizing star names used in international astronomy.
- CDS SIMBAD Astronomical Database - Professional astronomical database for stellar identifiers, positions, classifications, and bibliography.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Also appears in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-16
Close the lower edge of the Dipper bowl
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More in Constellations & Star Lore
Common questions
What is Phecda?
Phecda is Gamma Ursae Majoris, a white main-sequence star forming the lower inner corner of the Big Dipper's bowl.
How is Phecda used in an almanac?
Join Merak to Phecda across the bowl's base, then extend southward toward nearby deep-sky fields.
What should I avoid when interpreting Phecda?
The bowl shape is a perspective pattern; the moving group itself extends beyond the seven famous stars.
