Ursa Major

The name of the constellation, seen over the top of the telescope dome is "Ursa Major." Most people know it by its asterism name - the big dipper. It is upside down in this photograph, because of the time of year. It was a relatively clear night so I drove out to Custer Institute for some observing. When I saw the Big Dipper upside down, I decided to take a photo. The dome didn't show up at all in my original photograph, so in the subsequent exposures, I used my astronomy flashlight to "paint" the dome with light so it could be seen. You may have to click on this image in order to see it in a larger size, in order to see all the stars.