It has the traditional name Alshain from the Perso-Arabic term الشاهين aš-šāhīn "the (peregrine) falcon", perhaps by folk etymology from the Persian šāhīn tarāzū (or possibly šāhīn tara zed; see γ Aquilae), the Persian name for the asterism α, β and γ Aquilae.
The last two days of the festival feature Panchavadyam (sacred music from an orchestra of five instruments), and the festival ends at the Thiruvonam asterism.
As one of the four stars in the Keystone asterism (see yellow quadrangle) is one of the more easily recognized in the constellation.
The Pooram festival begins with the Karthika asterism and concludes with the Pooram asterism of the month of Meenam according to the Malayalam calendar (corresponding to the sun sign Pisces according to the Julian Calendar) to honour Kamadeva, the god of love.
The name of the festival is an Old Slavonic counterpart for the asterism of Pleiades.
In Spanish-speaking countries, the Orion's Belt asterism is called Las Tres Marías (The Three Marys).
The Ursa Major Moving Group was discovered in 1869 by Richard A. Proctor, who noticed that, except for Dubhe and Alkaid (Eta Ursae Majoris), the stars of the Big Dipper asterism all have proper motions heading towards a common point in Sagittarius.