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Name: S Sample
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Question:
What is the distance from Earth of the stars that make up the Big Dipper constellation?


Replies:
This information comes from my World Almanac. The distance to the main stars of the Big Dipper ranges from about 68 light-years (ly) to about 210 light-years (ly), as shown here:

        * <-- 88 ly
   210 ly --> *   
           
                  * <-- 68 ly
             
                      *     * <-- 105 ly
              
            90 ly --> *     * <-- 78 ly


Most of these stars do actually belong to a single open star cluster (I do not think the 210 ly one belongs, though). The stars of a given constella- tion need not have any physical relationship to each other. They may be vast distances apart; we simply associate them because they happen to be in the same general direction, from our viewpoint.

RC Winther

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