Which star is known as the North Star or Pole Star?

Which star is known as the North Star or Pole Star?

• A. Polaris
• B. Sirius
• C. Vega
• D. Betelgeuse

Answer: (A)

Polaris lies almost directly in line with Earth’s axis of rotation, right near the north celestial pole. Because the axis points roughly toward Polaris, the star stays almost fixed in the sky while other stars appear to rotate around it. That steady position makes it a reliable marker for true north in the Northern Hemisphere, so it’s widely known as the North Star. It’s also the bright star at the end of the Little Dipper, which helps people locate it more easily. The other bright stars mentioned are far from the north celestial pole, so they don’t serve as a stable reference for north. Keep in mind that due to the Earth's precession, the exact pole star changes over long timescales, but Polaris is the current North Star.

Polaris lies almost directly in line with Earth’s axis of rotation, right near the north celestial pole. Because the axis points roughly toward Polaris, the star stays almost fixed in the sky while other stars appear to rotate around it. That steady position makes it a reliable marker for true north in the Northern Hemisphere, so it’s widely known as the North Star. It’s also the bright star at the end of the Little Dipper, which helps people locate it more easily. The other bright stars mentioned are far from the north celestial pole, so they don’t serve as a stable reference for north. Keep in mind that due to the Earth's precession, the exact pole star changes over long timescales, but Polaris is the current North Star.