Many people think Polaris is the brightest star, but it's only 50th in brightness. Still, Polaris is famous because the entire northern sky wheels around it.
Arcturus is the brightest star north of the celestial equator. Near the handle of the Big Dipper, it's easy to find in spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
The sky's brightest star - Sirius - is a double star. Here's how to see its small companion, Sirius B, or the Pup, which orbits the larger primary star.
Alphard is the "heart" and brightest star in the constellation Hydra the Water Snake, and it represents a welcome sign of spring for the Northern Hemisphere.