"North Star" redirects here. For other uses, see North Star (disambiguation)

North Star (disambiguation)

North Star is the prominent star that lies closest in the sky to the north celestial pole, and which appears directly overhead to an observer at the Earth's North Pole.North Star may also refer to:-Places:In Australia:...

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The term "Pole Star" usually refers to Polaris

Polaris

Polaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....

, which is the current northern pole star, also known as the North Star.

In general, however, a pole star is a visible star, especially a prominent one, that is approximately aligned with the Earth

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

's axis of rotation; that is, a star whose apparent position is close to one of the celestial pole

Celestial pole

The north and south celestial poles are the two imaginary points in the sky where the Earth's axis of rotation, indefinitely extended, intersects the imaginary rotating sphere of stars called the celestial sphere...

s, and which lies approximately directly overhead when viewed from the Earth's North Pole

North Pole

The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...

 or South Pole

South Pole

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...

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