Definition

1. Proper Noun (Astronomy):
   • The Great Bear: The common name in Western astronomy for a prominent, large constellation in the northern sky, also widely known as Ursa Major.
   • The Plough / The Big Dipper: Refers specifically to the recognizable asterism (a distinctive pattern of stars) within the constellation of Ursa Major, which resembles a plough or a ladle.

Usage Examples

• Proper Noun:
  • "Đại Hùng Tinh" là một trong những chòm sao dễ nhận biết nhất trên bầu trời. ("The Great Bear" is one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky.)
  • Bạn có thể tìm sao Bắc Đẩu bằng cách kéo dài cán của "Đại Hùng Tinh". (You can find the North Star by extending the handle of "the Big Dipper".)

Advanced Usage

• The term "Đại Hùng Tinh" is used in formal, scientific Vietnamese contexts (thiên văn học). In everyday conversation, the asterism is more commonly referred to by its descriptive name, "sao Bắc Đẩu" (though technically, the North Star, Polaris, is part of Ursa Minor).

Variants and Related Words

• Sao Bắc Đẩu (n): The North Star (Polaris). Often mistakenly used to refer to the Big Dipper asterism itself, which is used to locate Polaris.
• Chòm sao Gấu Lớn (n): A direct translation of "Ursa Major" (Latin for "Great Bear"), synonymous with "Đại Hùng Tinh".
• Cái Muỗng/Cái Gàu Lớn (n): Colloquial terms for "the Big Dipper" (The Large Ladle).

Synonyms

• Ursa Major: The official Latin name for the constellation.
• The Plough: A common name for the asterism in British English.
• The Big Dipper: A common name for the asterism in American English.
• The Great Bear: The direct English translation.

Related Cultural References

• In many cultures, this star pattern is seen as a bear, a wagon, or a ladle. In Vietnamese folk astronomy, the seven brightest stars of the Big Dipper are sometimes associated with the "Thất Tinh" (Seven Stars).

1. (thiên văn) The Great Bear