Polaris
Where is Polaris?
Look north, about 52° up at 03:14 in Ursa Minor.
- Rises
- Always up
- Highest
- 03:09
- Sets
- Never
- Best after dark
- 03:14 · 52°
Can I see Polaris tonight?
From London tonight, Polaris is above the horizon all night. It’s highest after dark at 03:14, in the north at 52°.
At magnitude 2.0 it is one of the brighter points in the sky, easy to see by eye when it’s clear.
This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.
What does Polaris look like?
Polaris looks yellow to the eye. Its spectral type is F7 :IB-II SB,V: yellow-white supergiant (a little hotter than the Sun).
Eyes
A moderately bright star alone in its part of the sky, due north.
Binoculars
A small, faint circle of stars nearby, the Engagement Ring, has Polaris as its diamond.
Telescope
A small telescope shows a faint companion close to Polaris.
About Polaris
Polaris, the North Star, sits less than a degree from the north celestial pole, the point in the sky directly above Earth’s North Pole. As Earth turns, every other star appears to circle around it, while Polaris barely moves.
That makes it a reliable guide to north. It also tells you your latitude: its height above the horizon is roughly equal to your latitude in the Northern Hemisphere.
Polaris is not the brightest star in the sky, as many people think; dozens are brighter. It is a yellow-white supergiant and a pulsating variable star, and it has fainter companions.
The North Star isn’t permanent. Earth’s axis slowly wobbles over about 26,000 years, so other stars, including Vega, will take turns near the pole.
Polaris is still slowly getting closer to the pole. It will be nearest around the year 2100, less than half a degree away, and then slowly drift off.
Polaris in Ursa Minor
Questions
Is Polaris the brightest star?
Can I see Polaris from the Southern Hemisphere?
Will Polaris always be the North Star?
Sources: SkyMate; Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences