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Do you know how to find the North Star? The 2 outer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper point to the North Star, also known as Polaris. Give it a try!
Many people think Polaris is the brightest star, but it's only 48th in brightness. Still, Polaris is famous because the entire northern sky wheels around it.
Camelopardalis the Giraffe is a sprawling constellation made of dim stars that lies close the the north celestial pole. Northerners can see it all year long.
Polaris and Thuban have this in common: both reside, or have resided, at the apex of Earth's sky. That is, both are famous pole stars.
What a catch! This EarthSky community member caught the International Space Station (ISS) slicing across the night sky on May 17, 2021, passing Polaris, the North Star.
Use the Big Dipper to find Polaris, the North Star. Then notice the two stars Mizar and Alcor in the Big Dipper’s handle.
Comet Lovejoy on May 22, 2015. The comet is the brilliant green dot near the center of the photo. At the upper right of the photo is the star Polaris, aka the North Star.
Modern interpretations of the historical data indicate that Polaris could be as much as 4.6 times brighter than it appeared to some of the earliest astronomers.
Want to find Polaris, the North Star? The entire northern sky turns around it. If you can find the Big Dipper, you can always find Polaris.
Visible planets and star guide for April 2024. Tonight, watch for the full moon glowing brightly near the also-bright star Spica in Virgo the Maiden.
Kochab and Pherkad are the two outer stars in the bowl of the Little Dipper. They were the pole stars from 1500 BC to 500 BC.
Polaris marks the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. The 2 outer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris and help you find the Little Dipper.
Star-hopping is going from stars you know ... to stars you don't know. Star-hop from the constellation Orion to Sirius, sky's brightest star, before they sink out of view!
Meteor showers are back this month! The April Lyrids will be best before dawn on April 22. Your 2024 meteor shower guide here.
A recurring nova in Corona Borealis - T CrB - will probably appear as a 'new star' and brighten enough to see with the unaided eye sometime in 2024.
Constellations and asterisms are patterns of stars. Some asterisms consist of stars from different constellations, and some are part of one constellation.
Cassiopeia the Queen is an easy-to-find constellation. It has the shape of a W or M. Look in the northwest on evenings in late winter and early spring.
Watch the celestial clock and its two great big hour hands - Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper - as they swing around the North Star every night!
How to see Aries the Ram in your night sky with its bright star Hamal, plus info about this constellation in astronomy history and mythology.
Mirfak is the brightest star in Perseus and is visible even from light-polluted locations. This star is a member of the Alpha Persei Moving Cluster of stars.
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