Submitted Name Revision History

Latinized form of Greek Κυνόσουρα (Kynosoura) which meant "dog's tail", a derivative of κύων (kyôn) "dog" (genitive κυνός (kynos)) and οὐρά (oura) "tail". This was the ancient Greek name of the constellation Ursa Minor, used because it appeared to be the tail of the adjacent star-group Canis Major. In Greek myth this name belonged to a nymph of Mount Ida on the island of Crete; she was one of the nurses of the infant Zeus, who placed her among the stars.