Tags: Star.
Beta Ursae Majoris (Beta UMa β Ursae Majoris β UMa) is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Major. It has the traditional name Merak. The apparent visual magnitude of this star is +2.37 which means it is readily visible to the naked eye. It is more familiar to northern hemisphere observers as one of the pointer stars in the Big Dipper or The Plough in England which is a prominent asterism of seven stars that forms part of the larger constellation.
