The Big Dipper (US) or Plough (UK) is an asterism (not a constellation) of seven stars, with four defining a "bowl" or "body" and three defining a "handle" or "head", that is recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures. These stars are the brightest of the formal constellation Ursa Major; six of them are second magnitude stars, while only Megrez (δ) is of third magnitude. The North Star (Polaris), the current northern pole star and the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper, can be located by extending an imaginary line from Merak (β) through Dubhe (α). This makes it useful in celestial navigation.

Names

Origin

The constellation of Ursa Major has been seen as a bear by many distinct civilizations. This may stem from a common oral tradition stretching back for thousands of years. Using statistical and phylogenetic tools, Julien d'Huy reconstructs the following Palaeolithic state of the story: "There is an animal that is a horned herbivore, especially an elk. One human pursues this ungulate. The hunt locates or get to the sky. The animal is alive when it is transformed into a constellation. It forms the Big Dipper".

A roller coaster is an amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained a patent regarding roller coasters on January 20, 1885, which were made out of wood, but this patent is considerably later than the "Russian mountains" described below. In essence a specialized railroad system, a roller coaster consists of a track that rises in designed patterns, sometimes with one or more inversions (such as vertical loops) that briefly turn the rider upside down. The track does not necessarily have to be a complete circuit, as shuttle roller coasters demonstrate. Most roller coasters have multiple cars in which passengers sit and are restrained. Two or more cars hooked together are called a train. Some roller coasters, notably wild mouse roller coasters, run with single cars.

History

Russian mountain

The oldest roller coasters are believed to have originated from the so-called "Russian Mountains", which were specially-constructed hills of ice, located in an area that would later become St. Petersburg. Built in the 17th century, the slides were built to a height of between 21 and 24 m (70 and 80 feet), consisted of a 50 degree drop, and were reinforced by wooden supports.

The Great Dipper (Hangul: 북두칠성; RR: Bukduchilseong) is the third studio album by South Korean singer-songwriter Roy Kim. It was released on December 4, 2015 by MMO Entertainment, and distributed through CJ E&M Music. The album features nine tracks in total, including the eponymous lead single which was announced to be the first ballad title track of Kim's career. As of January 2016, The Great Dipper has sold over 6,000 physical copies and 300,000 digital downloads in Kim's native country (see Roy Kim discography).

Background

In August 2015, during a backstage interview with Billboard K-Town at KCON 2015, Kim previewed his upcoming album: "The third album, I'm working on it. I don't know when it'll come out, but I think it'll be more deep. I don't think people will like it." He added by saying, "It's going to be way more deep. In terms of the topics, and the songwriting, it's going to be very minimal in the way of arranging the music. That could change, it's all a secret, but now I've told you everything."