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Facts on the Star Polaris

Polaris is part of the Ursa Minor constellation (also known as Little Bear). It's also called the North Star because of its close approximation to the Earth's rotational axis, located above the North Pole.

Triple-Star System
- Polaris is a triple-star system unto itself. One companion star can be seen with a small telescope. The second wasn't visible until NASA's Hubble Space Telescope picked it up in 2007.
Distance
- The star is located 430 light years from Earth. The light we see shining from it actually left the star 430 years ago.
Brightness
- When the blue-green star shines its brightest, it burns 6,000 to 10,000 times more powerfully than the sun in our solar system.
Navigation
- Polaris is famed for its importance to sea navigation. Sailors have relied on it for centuries because it's easy to find, is very bright and remains at a fixed point in the sky.
Changes
- Since the Earth's rotational axis slowly changes direction, Polaris won't always be the North Star. By the year 7500, Alpha Cephei will take over that distinction.

Astronomy