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Big Dipper star fading?

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flobadob | 21:26 Tue 18th Sep 2012 | Science
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Is it just me or has the middle of the seven main stars in the Big Dipper gotten very fade? I can hardly see it tonight.
  
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Maybe it's on its holiday?
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Come to think of it looks like there's a shindig over on orion's belt, maybe it's partying over there.
"The Big Dipper isn't going to set at all. It is as low in the sky as it gets and is beginning to climb again."

http://www.thedailyst...etails.php?nid=250144

That probably explains it: low in the sky means the light has to plough through more atmosphere to reach us, so it's dimmer.
"...PLOUGH through more atmosphere...". Very good :o)
Megrez is significantly (by almost a full magnitude) dimmer than the other six stars of the Big Dipper (in both apparent and absolute magnitudes) and so would be most vulnerable to less than ideal seeing conditions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dipper#Stars

http://en.wikipedia.o...i/Delta_Ursae_Majoris

http://adoptaconstell...335/Ursa%20Major%202a

You wouldn't be the first to suggest it has perhaps faded (although this star type typically brightens with age) - https://www.google.co...rceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
-- answer removed --
Question Author
Good links, just funny I've been watching the skies for over 20 years and never noticed that before.

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