polaris | EarthSky

Sky chart linking the Big Dipper to the Little Dipper with an arrow, with labeled stars.

Use the Big Dipper to find Polaris, the North Star

Do you know how to find the North Star? The 2 outer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris, the North Star. It's quick and easy!

Splashdown! Polaris Dawn crew returns safely to Earth

The crew of Polaris Dawn is now safely back on Earth after a historic mission that included the first civilian spacewalk. Read more about it here.

Polaris, the North Star, has spots on its surface

Observations of Polaris, the North Star, show large bright and dark spots on its surface. It's the first glimpse of the surface of a Cepheid variable.

Myriad white concentric circles around Polaris, filling the image, with a brighter white streak across.

Polaris is the present-day North Star

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.

Pennant shape in blue lines with larger irregular red box around it. Capella and Polaris labeled outside the red box.

Camelopardalis the Giraffe swings around Polaris

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.

Star chart showing Big and Little Dippers, and constellation Draco.

Polaris and Thuban via the Big Dipper in July

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.

Dark blue sky with a few thin, concentric white arcs and a white line near a medium-bright star.

ISS passing Polaris, seen from Canada

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.

Big Dipper to Polaris, Mizar, Alcor

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 near star Polaris

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.

Very many circular concentric white lines surrounding a bright white dot.

Polaris, aka the North Star, is getting brighter

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.

Big Dipper with red line to Polaris next to horizon from southerly latitude.

The Big Dipper, the Pointers and Polaris

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 night sky guide for March

Visible planets and night sky guide. The waning gibbous moon passes the bright star Spica in the constellation Virgo. And see a star and planet forecast.

Five labeled stars linked with lines to make the letter W and two tiny, labeled clusters above, on blue background.

Cassiopeia the Queen reigns in the February sky

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.

Animation of Blaze Star, showing an expanding white dwarf and red giant.

Why won’t the Blaze Star explode? (and how YOU can see it when it does)

We're still waiting for the Blaze Star to go nova! Here's how to find the constellation Corona Borealis so you're ready when it happens.

Star chart of Orion - that looks like an hourglass with arms - and arrow from Orion's Belt to Sirius.

Sirius is a future southern Pole Star

Wait, what? It's true. The sky's brightest star, Sirius aka the Dog Star, will come to within 1.6 degrees of the south celestial pole in the year 66270.

5 men and 1 woman, all serious looking, standing holding their right hands up behind desks in a courtroom.

Is social media polarization about to get worse?

Social media behemoth Meta is planning to use crowdsourced 'community notes' for factchecking. Some experts worry this will only increase online polarization.

Sky chart: 2 labeled constellations with a purple line from each leading to Polaris in the middle.

Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper in January skies

Watch the celestial clock and its two great big hour hands - Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper - as they swing around the North Star each and every night!

Chart showing constellation Lyra and radial arrows from meteor shower radiant point near it.

Meteor shower guide 2025: Next up is the April Lyrids

The 2025 Quadrantid meteor shower is best before dawn on January 3. Your 2025 meteor shower guide here.

An orange sphere with 3 large dark patches. To the left is a much smaller sphere labeled sun.

Astronomers map giant starspots on distant XX Trianguli

Astronomers have mapped starspots over a 16-year period on a star named XX Trianguli using advanced Doppler imaging techniques.

Sunset on Mars. View full of dust. Tiny sun with dark land in foreground.

Is there a North Star for Mars?

Is there a North Star for Mars ... a guide star for future explorers? Not in any satisfying way. But Martian stargazers wouldn't lack for things to see!

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Use the Big Dipper to find Polaris, the North Star

Splashdown! Polaris Dawn crew returns safely to Earth

Polaris, the North Star, has spots on its surface

Polaris is the present-day North Star

Camelopardalis the Giraffe swings around Polaris

Polaris and Thuban via the Big Dipper in July

ISS passing Polaris, seen from Canada

Big Dipper to Polaris, Mizar, Alcor

Comet Lovejoy near star Polaris

Polaris, aka the North Star, is getting brighter

The Big Dipper, the Pointers and Polaris

Visible planets and night sky guide for March

Cassiopeia the Queen reigns in the February sky

Why won’t the Blaze Star explode? (and how YOU can see it when it does)

Sirius is a future southern Pole Star

Is social media polarization about to get worse?

Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper in January skies

Meteor shower guide 2025: Next up is the April Lyrids

Astronomers map giant starspots on distant XX Trianguli

Is there a North Star for Mars?