Bright stars · Ursa Minor
Polaris
Alpha Ursae Minoris
Details
Magnitude
1.98
Spectral type
F7Ib
Bayer
Alpha Ursae Minoris
Distance
430 ly
The current northern pole star — its position barely changes over the night.
BeginnerWhat is it?
Polaris is not particularly bright, but it sits within a degree of the true celestial north pole. Because of this, the entire sky appears to rotate around it, while Polaris itself stays almost stationary.
Why observe it?
Used for navigation for millennia. Even today, aligning a telescope's polar axis with Polaris is the fastest way to start tracking the sky.
What will I see?
Naked eye
A moderately bright star at the tip of the Little Dipper's handle. Its latitude above the horizon equals your latitude on Earth.
Small telescope
Polaris is actually a triple star system. Its brightest companion is easily visible in almost any telescope.
Reference imagery from long-exposure photography usually shows far more colour and structure than the human eye can see through a telescope.
Observing tips
- Locate Polaris using the two 'pointer' stars at the end of the Big Dipper.
- Only visible from the northern hemisphere.
Interesting facts
- About 430 light-years away.
- Actually a triple star system.
- Currently the northern pole star, but Earth's axis wanders over ~26,000 years.