Science Fact Finder | Space - Where Is The North Star?

Where is the North Star?

If an imaginary line is drawn from the North Pole into space, there is a star called Polaris, or the North Star, less than one degree away from the line. As the Earth rotates on its axis, Polaris acts as a pivot-point around which all the stars visible from the Northern Hemisphere appear to move, while Polaris itself remains motionless. (The Northern Hemisphere is the portion of the Earth north of the equator.)

Sources: Abell, George 0. Realm of the Universe, 5th ed., p. 11; Booth, Nicholas. The Concise Illustrated Book of Planets and Stars, p. 30

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