Ursa Major & Jupiter

Been practising with mirror lockup & the timer to try and get a nice steady shot of Jupiter.

It was rather wee in the picture (even with my 300mm, plus 2x, plus 1.4x extensions - work that one out!) but you can just about make out a band around it I think. As it was so small, I inset it into the main picture.

Turning around 180 degrees from Jupiter you see the main pic - Ursa Major - the Great Bear, the Plough - or if you are from the USA, the Big Dipper.

Other places call(ed) it the Canoe (Marshall Islands), The Funeral Bier (Arabian regions), the Thigh (Ancient Egyptians), the Long Wagon (Sumeria). Others use the Big Pan, The Skillet, The Frying Pan...

Their are many legends about this constallation and some of them can be found here

Oh, the two red dots you see towards the top left were a passing plane with a flashing red light.