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- DictionaryPolaris/pəˈlɑːrɪs/
- 1. a fairly bright star located within one degree of the celestial north pole, in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is a triple star, the bright component of which is a cepheid variable.
- 2. a type of submarine-launched ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear warheads, formerly in service with the US and British navies.
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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.
Jul 28, 2021 · Polaris, known as the North Star, sits more or less directly above Earth's north pole along our planet's rotational axis. This is the imaginary line that extends through the planet and out of the north and south poles. Earth rotates around this line, like a spinning top.
Currently, Earth's pole stars are Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris), a bright magnitude 2 star aligned approximately with its northern axis that serves as a pre-eminent star in celestial navigation, and a much dimmer magnitude 5.5 star on its southern axis, Polaris Australis (Sigma Octantis).
Polaris is a three star system comprising of the supergiant Polaris A and two smaller companions. The two companion stars, Polaris Ab and Polaris B, are both yellow-white dwarfs with similar surface temperatures to their giant neighbor.
May 9, 2024 · The North Star or Pole Star – aka Polaris – is famous for holding nearly still in our sky while the entire northern sky moves around it. That’s because it’s located very close to the...
Oct 26, 2023 · What Is Polaris? The Polaris Star, also known as the North Star, Northern Star or Pole Star, is a prominent star located in the Northern Hemisphere. It is specifically found in the constellation Ursa Minor, which is often referred to as the Little Bear or the Little Dipper.
Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris) is the Pole Star or North Star. It is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is almost straight above Earth 's North Pole. Because of this, when it is seen from Earth, it looks like it always stays in the same place in the sky.
Jul 28, 2014 · Polaris, also known as the North Star, Alpha Ursae Minoris or Star of Arcady, is the brightest star in Ursa Minor constellation. It is the closest bright star to the North Celestial Pole. The pole marks true north, which makes the North Star important in navigation, as the star's elevation above the horizon closely matches the observer's latitude.
Aug 28, 2024 · Polaris is one of the most famous stars in the night sky. Sitting almost directly at the celestial north pole, the star’s position on the sky barely varies throughout the year. However, Polaris does change in other ways. It is the nearest Cepheid variable star, a type of giant star that brightens and dims in a regular, repeating pattern.
Polaris, also designated as α Ursae Minoris (alpha Ursae Minoris), is a variable and multiple supergiant star of spectral class F7 in the constellation of Ursa Minor. Polaris visual magnitude is 2.02, making it the 50th brightest star in the sky.
