The Little Dipper is an asterism in the larger constellation of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. Asterisms are patterns of stars of similar brightness. There are seven stars that form the Little Dipper asterism. Three of its stars, namely Polaris, Yildun, and Urodelus, are known as "the handle" of the dipper, and the other four, Kochab, Pherkad, Anwar al Farkadain, and Akhfa al Farkadain, form "the bowl" or "the body." The most famous star in the Little Dipper is Polaris, which is also known as the North Star, as it appears to be aligned with Earth's axis, or Celestial Pole.
