'The Big Bang Theory' to be immortalized in the stars with new asterism 'The Big Bang Dipper' in the Ursa Major constellation
Warner Bros. Television’s 'The Big Bang Theory' is making history by stepping on to unchartered territories, more precisely, they're going to the stars! In the lead up to the series finale episode on May 16 (8/7c on CBS), the widely discussed "Big Dipper" asterism* in the Ursa Major constellation is now set to be renamed "The Big Bang Dipper".
This is the first time an individual or organization has named an entire grouping of stars, although the International Star Registry has been naming stars since 1979. Now, just as the popular TV series continues to be one of the most talked-about shows in global syndication, "The Big Bang Dipper" will continue to live on in interstellar fame, according to a Warner Bros. press release.
Among adults aged between 18 and 49, the acclaimed comedy ranks as the #1 entertainment series on broadcast network television in the total viewers for the 2018–19 television season to date. In May 2019, the show will conclude its 12th season as the longest-running multicamera comedy in television history, with a staggering 279 episodes. 'The Big Bang Theory' enjoys regular appreciation and support from the scientific community in general, with many of its episodes centered in the world of science and technology.
* What is an "asterism"?
The Ursa Major constellation, also known as "The Great Bear" boasts of a group of stars commonly referred to as The Big Dipper. While the Dipper's cup is the Bear's flank, the handle of the Dipper is the Great Bear's tail. The Big Dipper in itself is an "asterism" and not a constellation. An asterism is a distinctive group of stars, with another instance of the same featured in the Ursa Minor constellation and known as The Little Dipper. The only quantifiable difference between an asterism and a constellation is the size difference, with the former being relatively smaller.
The bowl of the Big Dipper, now to be hailed as "The Big Bang Dipper", resembles a giant bear, and the stars of the handle resemble three warriors chasing it. According to Native American legends, the hunters had injured the bear and its blood caused the trees to change the color to red, resulting in its low position in the autumn evening sky.
Furthermore, the Big Dipper is one of the most recognizable patterns in the northern sky, although the whole of Ursa Major is difficult to see without clear, dark skies. It has been identified differently across various cultures, some of which are a wagon or a cart, a plow, or a bull's thigh.