What is the North Star?

The North Star, also known as Polaris, is a bright star located almost directly above the Earth's North Pole. It is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, and is commonly used as a navigational aid due to its relatively fixed position in the sky. Polaris is located at the end of the 'handle' of the Little Dipper and can be found by following an imaginary line from the two stars at the front of the 'bowl' of the Big Dipper. Because it is almost directly above the North Pole, it appears to remain stationary while the rest of the stars appear to rotate around it as the Earth rotates.

The North Star has been used by navigators for centuries to help them find their way, as it always points north. It is also used in celestial navigation to determine latitude, and was used by sailors before the invention of the compass.