With the constellation Ursa Major high in the sky, late April presents an ideal opportunity to spot the 'Three Leaps of the Gazelle' asterism - a set of three stellar pairings hanging below the Great Bear's most famous feature: the seven stars of the Big Dipper.
The first mention of the Three Leaps of the Gazelle asterism was seemingly penned by the 13th century Arabic astronomer and mathematician Ulugh Beg, according to a 2021 post from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The three star pairings - an asterism named Kafzah al Thiba in Beg's time - represent the glowing tracks made by a celestial gazelle that was spooked when the lion of the Leo constellation swished its tail, causing it to flee to safety.
