The official English name of the system is BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. It is named after the Big Dipper constellation, which is known in Chinese as Běidǒu. The name literally means "Northern Dipper", the name given by ancient Chinese astronomers to the seven brightest stars of the Ursa Major constellation. Historically, this set of stars was used in navigation to locate the North Star Polaris. As such, the name BeiDou also serves as a metaphor for the purpose of the satellite navigation system. COUNT 5
QSN1 What is the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System named after? ANS1 the Big Dipper constellation QSN2 What is the Big Dipper constellation known as in Chinese? ANS2 Běidǒu QSN3 What does Běidǒu translate as? ANS3 Northern Dipper QSN4 Who named the constellation Běidǒu? ANS4 ancient Chinese astronomers QSN5 What was the Běidǒu constellation used for? ANS5 to locate the North Star Polaris