Ursa Minor Ursa Minor Ursa Minor (Latin: "Lesser Bear", contrasting with Ursa Major), also known as the Little Bear, is a constellation in the Northern Sky. Like the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, hence the North American name, Little Dipper: seven stars with four in its bowl like its partner the Big Dipper. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Ursa Minor has traditionally been important for navigation, particularly by mariners, because of Polaris being
HMS Ursa (R22) Ltd, commissioning in November of that year under the command of Commander Sam Brooks, DSC RN, as a member of the 5th Frigate Squadron. She spent the first half of 1962 in the Mediterranean, returning to the UK in June 1962. In January 1963, while on exercises near Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, in support of the submarine service, she collided with the destroyer . "Ursa" suffered a damaged bow, while "Battleaxe" suffered more consequentially, being struck athwartships. As luck would have it the crew from the forward mess deck most heavily damaged on "Ursa" were on