北斗卫星导航系统

The BeiDou Navigation System 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. * [3] Historically, this set of stars was used in navigation to lo- cate the North Star Polaris. As such, the name BeiDou also serves as a metaphor for the purpose of the satellite navigation system.