Where the North Star Is?

Many people erroneously think the North Star is one of the brightest stars in the sky and so is easy to find.

In actuality the star is not so outstanding in its order of magnitude, or brightness, which is about average when compared to all the other stars in the celestial sphere.

The key to locating the North Star in the night sky is to first find the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is perhaps the best known group of stars in the northern sky and is easy to distinguish from all others.

They are groups of stars known as asterisms.

The second key to finding the North Star is a similarly shaped constellation of stars known as the Little Dipper.

 The Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor, is smaller and more difficult to find in the night sky.

Fortunately its big brother the Big Dipper points the way.

 

Polaris Star

GallowayNightSky is about helping you understand the sky above us, and finding some great web links for you to help with that.

The film above is a fine example

Knowing how to find the Big Dipper makes it easy to find the north star.

The PoleStar we are seeking is the brightest of the Little Dipper stars and is located at the tip of the dippers handle.

In the British Isles this pattern is known as The Plough.

 It is also occasionally referred to as the Butcher's Cleaver in northern England.

In Ireland the figure is sometimes called the Starry Plough and has been used as a political symbol, a constellation of stars known as Ursa Major.

Did You Know?

You can see a few thousand stars in the sky with your unaided eye on a dark clear night away from light pollution.