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Big Dipper SW 9645
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Subtle blue-green undertone
In CIELAB, Big Dipper sits at L* 30.4, a* -2.8, b* -2.3. Its hue angle is 220° and its chroma is 3.6, so it leans blue-green only slightly — the undertone mostly shows next to whiter or grayer colors. It classifies as cool. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 32%.
LRV 6.4: very dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 6.4, Big Dipper is lighter than 6% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Near-black depth. Use on doors, trim, cabinetry, exteriors or moody rooms with strong artificial lighting.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Big Dipper
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stonecutter | 2135-20 | 1.16 | Very close | |
| Lead Gray | 2131-30 | 2.15 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Raccoon Fur | 2126-20 | 2.50 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Big Dipper
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sable | 730F-7 | 0.68 | Practically identical | |
| Winter Way | PPU25-23 | 1.89 | Very close | |
| Little Black Dress | PPU24-23 | 1.89 | Very close |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Etna | SW 7625 | 1.60 | Very close | |
| Tarragon | SW 9660 | 2.55 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Cyberspace | SW 7076 | 3.31 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Rock Bottom | SW 7062 | 3.54 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Sea Serpent | SW 7615 | 3.94 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Gale Force | SW 7605 | 4.58 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Perle Noir SW 9154 · lighter, LRV 7.5
- Mineral Gray SW 2740 · lighter, LRV 9.4
- Peppercorn SW 7674 · lighter, LRV 9.7
- Iron Ore SW 7069 · darker, LRV 5.5
- Gale Force SW 7605 · darker, LRV 5.6
- Darkroom SW 7083 · darker, LRV 5.0
Colors that go with Big Dipper
Big Dipper is too close to neutral (chroma 3.6) for hue-based pairings to be meaningful; pair it with any color that shares its blue-green lean, and use a crisper white for trim.
Big Dipper vs popular colors
- Wrought Iron (Benjamin Moore 2124-10, ΔE 3.8) is lighter (LRV 8.2 vs 6.4), more yellow/warm, more red/pink, more muted.
- Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams SW 7069, ΔE 4.8) is about as light, more yellow/warm, more red/pink, more muted.
- Soot (Benjamin Moore 2129-20, ΔE 5.0) is about as light, more blue/cool, more red/pink.