- Tania Australis (stars.astro.illinois.edu)
TANIA AUSTRALIS (Mu Ursae Majoris). Our Ursa Major, the Greater Bear, contains remnants of ancient Arabic constellations, the best-known example the star Alkaid, which refers to the leader of the daughters of a funeral bier. Southwest of the Dipper’s bowl lie three obvious pairs of stars that represent the bear’s paws, but to the Arabs were the tracks of leaping gazelles. The middle pair is the “second leap,” from which comes the name “Tania” (for “second”).