For stargazers, the Big Dipper is a celestial compass, clock, calendar and ruler. Here’s how to use it.

A night scene captured in Achada do Gamo, Dark Sky Alqueva Mértola, shows the silhouette of a skywatcher who is trying to show us where to find Polaris, the North Star, in the Big Dipper.
"At one time or another, most of us have probably used a Swiss Army Knife. An excellent everyday tool, it's really just a glorified pocket or penknife; a tool incorporating several blades and other appliances such as scissors and screwdrivers. And ascending the northeast sky on February evenings is what we might call the 'Swiss Army Knife of the sky': the Big Dipper. It is not an official constellation in itself; rather, it's a prominent grouping of stars (called an asterism) that forms a different type of star pattern within a recognized constellation — in this case, Ursa Major, the great bear. ..."
Space (Video)
Doorstep Astronomy: See the Big Dipper
W - Big Dipper

From northern latitudes, use the Big Dipper to point the way to Polaris and the north celestial pole. Currently, the Big Dipper can be seen at its highest in the northern sky late in the evening, with its bowl overturned.