By: Steve Goldberg (Posted 4/16/2019)
Asterism: a grouping of stars that form a recognizable pattern.
Constellation: Ursa Major
Right Ascension: 10h 51m 00.0s
Declination: +56° 09' 00"
Magnitude: 7 to 11
Size: 15 minutes
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This month’s asterism is called the “Broken Engagement Ring”. It is located near the bowl of the Big Dipper. It is made up of a semi-circle of stars, about 15 minutes in size.
This asterism is just off Beta β Ursa Major, Merak, a 2.4 magnitude star. The bigger circle in the picture is a typical finder view.
The bright star in the upper left, at 7.4 magnitude, could be considered the diamond of the ring, but the lower right section of the ring is missing. Using your imagination the 3 bright stars to the lower right could be considered the “missing stars” of the “Broken Engagement Ring”.
