Star light, star bright, the first Utah star I see tonight . . .
With centennial fervor burning bright, the House Monday passed HB140 designating the star Dubhe, one of the seven bright stars that comprise the Big Dipper, also known as Ursa Major, as the state centennial star.According to bill sponsor Marda Dillree, R-Farmington, light from Dubhe takes 100 years to get to Earth, meaning the light we now see emanating from the celestial sphere originated the same year Utah was granted statehood.
And if designating Dubhe the state centennial star weren't enough, Dillree's legislation also designates the Beehive Cluster as the state astronomical symbol. The Beehive Cluster is located in the constellation of Cancer the Crab.