The constellation Ursa Minor. From 'Aja'ib al-makhluqat wa-ghara'ib al-mawjudat (Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing) by Abu Yahya Zakariya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (1203-1283) an Arab physician, astronomer, geographer and proto-science fiction writer. Ursa Minor, 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 name Little Dipper. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains among the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Neither the copyist nor illustrator is named, and the copy is undated. The nature of paper, script, ink, and illustrations suggests that it was produced in western India in the 18th century.
