POLARIS

"Polaris"

What is Polaris?

Polaris designated Alpha Ursae Minoris, commonly the North Star or Pole Star, is the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star.

Most of the names used for Alpha Ursae Minoris (Alpha UMi) reflect the star’s role as the pole star. The name Polaris itself is an ellipsis for Stella Polaris, the Latin for “pole star.” In Latin, the star is also known as Stella Maris, or “the sea star.“ In medieval Islamic astronomy, Polaris was known as Mismar, meaning “needle” or “nail,” al-kaukab al-shamaliyy or “the north star,” and al-kutb al-shamaliyy or “the northern axle (or spindle).”

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Why is Polaris called Polaris?

If you followed this axis out into space from the northern hemisphere on Earth, it would point toward a particular star in the sky. We call that star the "North Star" since it sits in the direction that the spin axis from the northern hemisphere of Earth points. At present, the star known as Polaris is the North Star.

FACTS about POLARIS:

Here are some trivia about the northern star:

*Polaris is notable for currently being 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.

*The North Star has a reputation for being bright, but it is not among the top 10 or even the top 40 brightest stars in the night sky. It is only the 48th brightest star, and owes its reputation to the fact that it is the nearest relatively bright (second magnitude) star to the North Celestial Pole.

*Polaris is also the star that marks the end of the Little Dipper‘s handle. It is approximately 434 light years or 133 parsecs distant from Earth.

*Polaris goes by many different names, including the Northern Star, Pole Star, Lodestar, Guiding Star, and Cynosūra, derived from the Greek κυνόσουρα for “the dog’s tail.” In ancient Greek times, Ursa Minor was taken to represent a dog, not a bear.

*Polaris is not exactly at the pole of rotation, though it's only 7 tenths of a degree away. This means it makes a small circle around the actual pole as Earth rotates.

Where can I find the North Star?

Polaris is the star at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper, or the tip of the tail of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. There's a trick you can do with the Big Dipper to find it. Find the Big Dipper, then go to the stars at the end of the Dipper's bowl - Merak and Dubhe, also known as "the pointer stars" - draw a line between those stars, and then continue that line. The line should take you right to the North Star. You'll always find the North Star in the northern sky.