Question

The North Star is a part of the constellation _________________.
A. Orion
B. Big dipper
C. Cassiopeia
D. Little dipper

Answer 1

Hint: The north star is considered to be the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor. The term 'constellation' in Latin means 'set with star'.

Complete Answer: The North Star is also known as Polaris is the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor. The other names of Ursa Minor are little bear or little dipper. The Ursa Minor is a constellation of the northern sky at a right ascension of about 15 hours and at an 80 degrees North declination.

Now let us examine the options
Option A - The prominent feature of the Orion constellation is Orion’s Belt, a row of three bright stars. These are Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka (Zeta, Epsilon and Delta Orionis respectively).
Option B - The group of stars commonly called the Big Dipper belongs to the constellation Ursa Major. It is an asterism and can be easily recognised in the sky. The Big Dipper is especially noticeable in the northern sky in the mid-year.
Option C - Cassiopeia is a large constellation situated in the northern sky. It is a part of the Perseus family of constellations along with Andromeda, Auriga, Cepheus etc. It was named after Cassiopeia, the vain and proud queen in Greek folklore.
Option D - The Little Dipper is an asterism which belongs to the larger constellation of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. The most popular star in the Little Dipper is Polaris, which is presently known as the North Star or Pole Star, as it has all the earmarks of being lined up with the Celestial Pole or Earth's axis.

So, the correct answer is option D.

Note: The largest constellation in terms of area is Hydra while the smallest is Crux. At present, there are currently 88 recognised constellations in the sky. Not the entirety of the constellations are noticeable from any one point on Earth. The star maps are ordinarily separated into maps for the northern hemisphere and maps for the southern hemisphere. The perceivability of these star grouping relies upon the season of the year.