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Jul 28, 2021 · Learn how Polaris, the North Star, marks the direction of true north in the Northern Hemisphere and how to locate it using the Big Dipper. Discover why the North Star changes over time and why the Southern Hemisphere has no bright star for south.
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to Alpha Ursae Minoris) and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star.
Polaris, Earth’s present northern polestar, or North Star, at the end of the ‘handle’ of the so-called Little Dipper in the constellation Ursa Minor. Polaris is actually a triple star. It is located about 447.6 light-years from Earth and is the closest Cepheid variable.
Jan 3, 2006 · The North Star, or Polaris, is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, the little bear (also known as the Little Dipper). As viewed by observers in the Northern Hemisphere, Polaris...