{{Short description|Visible star that is nearly aligned with Earth's axis of rotation}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{Redirect|South Star|the American rapper|Southstar}}
{{other uses}}
}}
[[File:Star Trail above Beccles - geograph.org.uk - 1855505.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Northern Hemisphere]] [[circumpolar stars]] around [[Polaris]], with a [[long-exposure photography|long-exposure]] producing a [[star trail]] photo]]

A '''pole star''' is a visible [[star]] that is approximately aligned with the [[axis of rotation]] of an [[astronomical body]]; that is, a star whose apparent position is close to one of the [[celestial pole]]s. On [[Earth]], a pole star would lie directly overhead when viewed from the [[North Pole|North]] or the [[South Pole]].

Currently, Earth's pole stars are [[Polaris]] (Alpha Ursae Minoris), a bright [[apparent magnitude|magnitude]] 2 star aligned approximately with its northern axis that serves as a pre-eminent star in [[celestial navigation]], and a much dimmer magnitude 5.5 star on its southern axis, [[Polaris Australis]] (Sigma Octantis).

From around 1700 BC until just after 300 AD, [[Kochab]] (Beta Ursae Minoris) and [[Pherkad]] (Gamma Ursae Minoris) were twin northern pole stars, though neither was as close to the pole as Polaris is now.

==History==
[[File:A method to find Polaris at 5x the distance of Merak and Dubhe of Ursa Major.jpg|thumb|A method to find the Pole star Polaris at 5x the distance of the two front stars of the Big Dipper]]
[[File:Precession N.gif|thumb|upright=1.2|The path of the north celestial pole among the stars due to the effect of precession, with dates shown]]
[[File:Precession S.gif|thumb|upright=1.2|The path of the south celestial pole among the stars due to the effect of precession]]

In [[classical antiquity]], [[Beta Ursae Minoris]] (Kochab) was closer to the celestial north pole than Alpha Ursae Minoris. While there was no naked-eye star close to the pole, the midpoint between Alpha and Beta Ursae Minoris was reasonably close to the pole, and it appears that the entire constellation of [[Ursa Minor]], in antiquity known as ''[[:wikt:Cynosura|Cynosura]]'' (Greek Κυνόσουρα "dog's tail"),<ref>{{LSJ|kuno/soura|κυνόσουρα|ref}}.</ref> was used as indicating the northern direction for the purposes of navigation by the [[Phoenicians]].<ref>implied by [[Johannes Kepler]] (''cynosurae septem stellas consideravit quibus cursum navigationis dirigebant Phoenices''): "Notae ad Scaligeri Diatribam de Aequinoctiis" in ''Kepleri Opera Omnia'' ed. Ch. Frisch, vol. 8.1 (1870) [https://books.google.com/books?id=BRM2AQAAMAAJ&pg=PT290 p. 290]</ref> The ancient name of Ursa Minor, anglicized as ''[[:wikt:cynosure|cynosure]]'', has since itself become a term for "guiding principle" after the constellation's use in navigation.

Alpha Ursae Minoris (Polaris) was described as ἀειφανής (transliterated as ''aeiphanes'') meaning "always above the horizon", "ever-shining"<ref>{{LSJ|a)eifanh/s|ἀειφανής|shortref}}.</ref> by [[Stobaeus]] in the 5th century, when it was still removed from the celestial pole by about 8°. It was known as ''scip-steorra'' ("ship-star") in 10th-century [[Anglo-Saxon England]], reflecting its use in navigation. In the [[Vishnu Purana]], it is personified under the name ''[[Dhruva]]'' (ध्रुव, "immovable, fixed").

The name ''stella polaris'' was coined in the Renaissance, even though at that time it was well recognized that it was several degrees away from the celestial pole; [[Gemma Frisius]] in the year 1547 determined this distance as 3°8'.<ref>''Gemmae Frisii de astrolabo catholico liber: quo latissime patentis instrumenti multiplex usus explicatur, & quicquid uspiam rerum mathematicarum tradi possit continetur'', Steelsius (1556), [https://books.google.com/books?id=8XE6AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA20 p. 20]</ref> In his book ''Cosmographicus Liber'' of 1524 [[Petrus Apianus]] published a diagram of the north polar region ‍of the sky on which he labelled the pole star as both Stella Polaris and Stella Maris.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/apianus-bears.html|title=Apianus's depictions of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor |work=Star Tales (online edition) |author=Ridpath, Ian |access-date=2025-08-20}}</ref>
An explicit identification of Mary as ''stella maris'' with the North Star (''Polaris'') becomes evident in the title ''Cynosura seu Mariana Stella Polaris'' (i.e. "Cynosure, or the Marian Polar Star"), a collection of Marian poetry published by Nicolaus Lucensis (Niccolo Barsotti de Lucca) in 1655.

==Precession of the equinoxes==
[[File:Earth precession.svg|thumb|left|Precession of Earth's rotational axis]]

In 2022 Polaris' mean [[declination]] was 89.35 degrees North;{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} (at [[Epoch (astronomy)#Julian years and J2000|epoch J2000]] it was 89.26 degrees N). So it appears due north in the sky to a precision better than one degree, and the angle it makes with respect to the true horizon (after correcting for refraction and other factors) is within a degree of the latitude of the observer. 
The celestial pole will be nearest Polaris in 2100.<ref name=StarTales>{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/ursaminor.html#polaris | author=Ridpath, Ian | author-link=Ian Ridpath | date=1988 | title=Star Tales | chapter=Chapter Three: The celestial eighty-eight – Ursa Minor | publisher=[[The Lutterworth Press]] | location=[[Cambridge]] | isbn=978-0-7188-2695-6 | quote=...in the early 16th century ... Polaris was still around three and a half degrees from the celestial pole ...will reach its closest to the north celestial pole around AD 2100, when the separation will be less than half a degree}}</ref><ref name=Meeus/>

Due to the [[precession of the equinoxes]] (as well as the stars' proper motions), the role of North Star has passed from one star to another in the remote past, and will pass in the remote future. In 3000&nbsp;BC, the faint star [[Thuban]] in the [[constellation]] [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]] was the North Star, aligning within 0.1° [[angular diameter|distance]] from the celestial pole, the closest of any of the visible pole stars.<ref name="Nor">{{cite book | editor=Ridpath, Ian | editor-link=Ian Ridpath | date=2004 | title=Norton's Star Atlas | page=[https://archive.org/details/nortonsstaratlas00ianr/page/5 5] | publisher=Pearson Education | location=New York | isbn=0-13-145164-2 | quote=Around 4800 years ago Thuban ({{GreekFont|α}} Draconis) lay a mere 0°.1 from the pole. Deneb ({{GreekFont|α}} Cygni) will be the brightest star near the pole in about 8000 years' time, at a distance of 7° | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/nortonsstaratlas00ianr/page/5 }}</ref><ref name=MOORE>{{Cite book| title=The Observer's Year: 366 Nights in the Universe | author=Moore, Patrick | page=283 | year=2005}}</ref> However, at magnitude 3.67 (fourth magnitude) it is only one-fifth as bright as Polaris, and today it is invisible in [[Light pollution|light-polluted]] urban skies.

During the 1st millennium BC, [[Beta Ursae Minoris]] (Kochab) was the bright star closest to the celestial pole, but it was never close enough to be taken as marking the pole, and the Greek navigator [[Pytheas]] in ca. 320 BC described the celestial pole as devoid of stars.<ref name=StarTales/><ref name=KalerKochab>{{citation |title=KOCHAB (Beta Ursae Minoris) |work=Stars |publisher=[[University of Illinois]] | author=Kaler, James B. | author-link=James B. Kaler |url=http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/kochab.html |access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref> In the [[Roman Empire|Roman era]], the celestial pole was about equally distant between Polaris and Kochab.

The precession of the equinoxes takes about 25,770 years to complete a cycle. Polaris' mean position (taking account of [[precession]] and [[proper motion]]) will reach a maximum [[declination]] of +89°32'23", which translates to 1657" (or 0.4603°) from the celestial north pole, in February 2102. Its maximum apparent declination (taking account of [[astronomical nutation|nutation]] and [[aberration of light|aberration]]) will be +89°32'50.62", which is 1629" (or 0.4526°) from the celestial north pole, on 24 March 2100.<ref name=Meeus>Jean Meeus, Mathematical Astronomy Morsels Ch. 50; Willmann-Bell 1997</ref>

Precession will next point the north celestial pole at stars in the northern constellation [[Cepheus (constellation)|Cepheus]]. The pole will drift to space equidistant between Polaris and [[Gamma Cephei]] ("Errai") by 3000&nbsp;AD, with Errai reaching its closest alignment with the northern celestial pole around 4200&nbsp;AD.<ref name=Monthly1871/><ref name=EarthSky>{{cite web |url=http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/star-errai-future-north-star |title=Gamma Cephei: A future Pole Star |first1=Bruce |last1=McClure |author2=Deborah, Byrd |author2-link=Deborah Byrd |work=[[Earth & Sky|EarthSky]] |date=2017-09-29 |access-date=2018-04-25}}</ref> [[Iota Cephei]] and [[Beta Cephei]] will stand on either side of the northern celestial pole some time around 5200&nbsp;AD, before moving to closer alignment with the brighter star [[Alpha Cephei]] ("Alderamin") around 7500&nbsp;AD.<ref name=Monthly1871/><ref name=KalerAlderamin>{{citation |title=ALDERAMIN (Alpha Cephei) |work=Stars |publisher=[[University of Illinois]] | author=Kaler, James B. | author-link=James B. Kaler |url=http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/alderamin.html |access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref>

Precession will then point the north celestial pole at stars in the northern constellation [[Cygnus (constellation)|Cygnus]]. Like Beta Ursae Minoris during the 1st millennium BC, the bright star closest to the celestial pole in the 10th millennium AD, first-magnitude [[Deneb]], will be a distant 7° from the pole, never close enough to be taken as marking the pole,<ref name="Nor"/> while third-magnitude [[Delta Cygni]] will be a more helpful pole star, at a distance of 3° from celestial north, around 11,250&nbsp;AD.<ref name=Monthly1871/> Precession will then point the north celestial pole nearer the constellation [[Lyra]], where the [[List of brightest stars|second brightest star]] in the [[northern celestial hemisphere]], [[Vega]], will be a pole star around 14,500&nbsp;AD, though at a distance of 5° from celestial north.<ref name=Monthly1871/>

Precession will eventually point the north celestial pole nearer the stars in the constellation [[Hercules (constellation)|Hercules]], pointing towards [[Tau Herculis]] around 18,400&nbsp;AD.<ref name=KalerTauHer>{{citation | title=TAU HER (Tau Herculis) | publisher=[[University of Illinois]] | author=Kaler, James B. | author-link=James B. Kaler | work=Stars | url=http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/tauher.html | access-date=2018-04-27}}</ref> The celestial pole will then return to the stars in constellation Draco (Thuban, mentioned above) before returning to the current constellation, Ursa Minor. When Polaris becomes the North Star again around 27,800&nbsp;AD, due to its [[proper motion]] it then will be farther away from the pole than it is now, while in 23,600 BC it was closer to the pole.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}

Over the course of Earth's 26,000-year [[axial precession]] cycle, a series of bright [[Naked eye#Naked eye in astronomy|naked eye]] stars (an [[apparent magnitude]] up to +6; a [[full moon]] is −12.9) in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] will hold the transitory title of North Star.<ref name=Monthly1871>{{citation | title=Our Monthly | year=1871 | volume=4 | page=53  | publisher=Presbyterian Magazine Company | postscript=. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KdEQAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA53 }}</ref> While other stars might line up with the north [[celestial pole]] during the 26,000 year cycle, they do not necessarily meet the naked eye limit needed to serve as a useful indicator of north to an Earth-based observer, resulting in periods of time during the cycle when there is no clearly defined North Star. There will also be periods during the cycle when bright stars give only an approximate guide to "north", as they may be greater than 5° of [[angular diameter]] removed from direct alignment with the north celestial pole.<ref name=EarthSky/>

The 26,000 year cycle of North Stars, starting with the current star, with stars that will be "near-north" indicators when no North Star exists during the cycle, including each star's average brightness and closest alignment to the north celestial pole during the cycle:<ref name=StarTales/><ref name=Meeus/><ref name="Nor"/><ref name=MOORE/><ref name=Monthly1871/><ref name=EarthSky/><ref name=KalerAlderamin/><ref name=KalerTauHer/>

[[File:Axial and apsidal precession.png|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Axial precession|Axial]] and [[apsidal precession]] with four of the nearest northern pole stars over the course of millennia]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! [[Bayer designation|Bayer]]
! Tradi-<br>tional
! [[Apparent magnitude|V]]
! [[Constellation|Constel-<br>lation]]
! [[Celestial pole|Align-<br>ment]]
! notes
|-
| [[Alpha Ursae Minoris]]  || Polaris || 1.98 || [[Ursa Minor]] || within&nbsp;0.5° || the current North Star
|-
| [[Gamma Cephei]] || Errai || 3.21 || [[Cepheus (constellation)|Cepheus]] || within 3° || will become the North Star at about 3,100 AD
|-
| [[Beta Cephei]] || Alfirk || 3.51 || [[Cepheus (constellation)|Cepheus]] || within 5° || will become the North Star at about 5,900 AD
|-
| [[Iota Cephei]] ||  || 3.51 || [[Cepheus (constellation)|Cepheus]] || within 5° || shares timing with [[Beta Cephei]]
|-
| [[Alpha Cephei]] || Alderamin || 2.51 || [[Cepheus (constellation)|Cepheus]] || within 3° || will become the North Star at about 7,500 AD
|-
| [[Alpha Cygni]] || Deneb || 1.25 || [[Cygnus (constellation)|Cygnus]] || within 7° || will become the North Star at about 9,800 AD
|-
| [[Delta Cygni]] || Fawaris || 2.87 || [[Cygnus (constellation)|Cygnus]] || within 3° || will become the North Star at about 11,250 AD
|-
| [[Alpha Lyrae]] || Vega || 0.026 || [[Lyra]] || within 5° || used to be the North Star at about 12,000 BC;<br>and will become the North Star at 14,500 AD
|-
| [[Iota Herculis]] || Tianbang || 3.75 || [[Hercules (constellation)|Hercules]] || within 4° || used to be the North Star at about 10,000 BC;<br>and will become the North Star at 16,000 AD
|-
| [[Tau Herculis]] || Asuusiha || 3.89 || [[Hercules (constellation)|Hercules]] || within 1° || used to be the North Star at about 7,400 BC;<br>and will become the North Star at 18,400 AD
|-
| [[Iota Draconis]] || Edasich || 3.29 || [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]] || within 5° || used to be the North Star at about 4,420 BC
|-
| [[Alpha Draconis]] || Thuban || 3.65 || [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]] || within 0.1° || used to be the North Star at about 2,800 BC
|-
| [[Beta Ursae Minoris]] || Kochab || 2.08 || [[Ursa Minor]] || within 7° || used to be the North Star at about 1,100 BC
|-
| [[Kappa Draconis]] || || 3.82 || [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]] || within 6° || a near-north star, shares timing with [[Beta Ursae Minoris|Kochab]] 
|-
|}

==Southern pole star (South Star)==
[[File:South Celestial Pole.ogv|right|thumb|upright=1.2|Series of shots showing the rotation of the Earth's axis relative to the south celestial pole. The [[Magellanic Clouds]], [[Coalsack Nebula]], and Southern Cross (next to the Coalsack) are clearly visible. Near the end of the video, the rise of the Moon illuminates the scene. (Argentina, 2014)]]

Currently, there is no South Pole Star like [[Polaris]], the so-called ''North Star''. [[Sigma Octantis]] is the closest near [[naked-eye]] star to the south celestial pole, but at [[apparent magnitude]] 5.47 it is barely visible on a [[Bortle Scale|clear night]], making it less useful for casual navigational or astronomy alignment purposes<!-- and although sometimes referred to as [[Polaris Australis]] is not technically a pole star-->.<ref>{{cite web
|url =http://jumk.de/astronomie/special-stars/sigma-octantis.shtml
|title =Sigma Octantis
|publisher =Jumk.De
|date =6 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url =https://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/81-the-universe/stars-and-star-clusters/stargazing/374-is-there-a-south-star-intermediate
|title =Is there a southern pole star
|publisher =Cornell University
}}</ref>
It is a [[Giant star#Yellow giants|yellow giant]] 294 [[light year]]s from Earth. Its [[angular separation]] from the pole is about 1° ({{As of|2000|lc=on}}). The [[Crux|Southern Cross]] constellation functions as an approximate southern pole constellation, by pointing to where a southern pole star would be.

At the [[equator]], it is possible to see both Polaris and the Southern Cross.<ref>{{cite web
|url =http://www.space.com/15567-north-star-polaris.html
|title =The North Star: Polaris
|publisher =[[Space.com]]
|access-date =6 August 2013
|date =May 7, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url =http://msugalapagos.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/night-sky-near-the-equator/
|last =Hobbs
|first =Trace
|title =Night Sky Near the Equator
|publisher =Wordpress
|date = May 21, 2013 
|access-date =6 August 2013}}</ref> The celestial south pole is moving toward the Southern Cross, which has pointed to the south pole for the last 2000 years or so. As a consequence, the constellation is no longer visible from subtropical northern latitudes, as it was in the time of the [[ancient Greeks]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ridpath |first=Ian |title=Stars & planets : the complete guide to the stars, constellations, and the solar system |date=2017 |others=Wil Tirion, Ian Ridpath, Ian Ridpath |isbn=978-0-691-17788-5 |edition=Updated and expanded |location=Princeton, N.J. |publisher=Princeton University Press |oclc=1004676396}}</ref>

Around 200 BC, the star [[Beta Hydri]] was the nearest bright star to the celestial south pole.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/Sow/betahyi.html|title=Beta Hydri}}</ref> Around 2800 BC, [[Achernar]] was only 8 degrees from the south pole.

[[File:All In A Spin Star trail.jpg|thumb|Circle of southern stars, Chile, 2016]]

In the next 7500 years, the south celestial pole will pass close to the stars [[Gamma Chamaeleontis]] (4200 AD), [[HR 4102|I Carinae]], [[Omega Carinae]] (5800 AD), [[Upsilon Carinae]], [[Iota Carinae]] (Aspidiske, 8100 AD) and [[Delta Velorum]] (Alsephina, 9200 AD).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://moonkmft.co.uk/Precession.html|title=Precession|website=moonkmft.co.uk|access-date=24 September 2018}}</ref> From the eightieth to the ninetieth centuries, the south celestial pole will travel through the [[False Cross]]. Around 14,000&nbsp;AD [[Canopus]] will have a declination of –82°, meaning it will rise and set daily for latitudes between 8°S and 8°N, and will not rise to viewers north of this latter [[8th parallel north]].<ref>{{cite web
|url =http://moonkmft.co.uk/Precession.html
| title =Precession 
|author=Kieron Taylor 
|publisher=Sheffield Astronomical Society 
|date=1 March 1994 
|access-date=2018-09-24}}</ref>

Precession and proper motion mean that [[Sirius]] will be a future southern pole star: at 88.4° S declination in the year 66,270&nbsp;AD; and 87.7° S declination in the year 93,830&nbsp;AD.<ref>{{cite web
|url =http://earthsky.org/?p=226733
| title =Sirius, future South Pole Star
|author=Bruce McClure 
|publisher=EarthSky 
|access-date=2018-01-03}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! [[Bayer designation|Bayer]]
! Other name 
! [[Apparent magnitude|V]]
! [[Constellation|Constel-<br>lation]]
! [[Celestial pole|Align-<br>ment]]
! notes
|-
| [[Sigma Octantis]]  || Polaris Australis || 5.47 || [[Octans (constellation)|Octans]] || 1° || The current South Star
|-
| [[Beta Hydri]]  || - || 2.80 || [[Hydrus (constellation)|Hydrus]] ||  || used to be the South Star at about 200 BC
|-
| [[Gamma Chamaeleontis]]  || - || 4.12 || [[Chamaeleon (constellation)|Chamaeleon]] || 2° || Will be the South Star in 4,200 AD
|-
| [[Omega Carinae]] || - || 3.29  ||[[Carina (constellation)|Carina]] ||  || Will be the South Star in 5,800 AD
|-
| I Carinae || [[HR 4102]] || 3.99  ||[[Carina (constellation)|Carina]] ||  || Will share timing with [[Omega Carinae]]
|-
| [[Iota Carinae]] || Aspidiske || 2.21 || [[Carina (constellation)|Carina]] ||  || Will be the South Star in 8,100 AD
|-
| [[Upsilon Carinae]] || - || 2.97 ||[[Carina (constellation)|Carina]] ||  || Will share timing with [[Iota Carinae]]
|-
| [[Delta Velorum]] || Alsephina || 1.95 - 2.43 || [[Vela (constellation)|Vela]] ||  || Will be the South Star in 9,200 AD
|-
| Alpha Carinae || [[Canopus]] || −0.74 || [[Carina (constellation)|Carina]] || 10° || Used to be the South Star at about 12,000 BC and will become the South Star at 14,000 AD 
|-
| Alpha Eridani  || [[Achernar]] || 0.40–0.46 || [[Eridanus (constellation)|Eridanus]] ||  || Used to be the South Star at about 2,800 BC and will become the South Star at 22,000 AD
|-
| Alpha Canis Majoris || [[Sirius]] || −1.46 || [[Canis Major (constellation)|Canis Major]] || || Will be the South Star in 66,270 AD
|-
|}

==Other planets==
Pole stars of other planets are defined analogously: they are stars (brighter than 6th magnitude, i.e., visible to the naked eye under ideal conditions) that most closely coincide with the projection of the planet's axis of rotation onto the celestial sphere. Different planets have different pole stars because their axes are oriented differently. (See [[Poles of astronomical bodies]].)

{| class="wikitable"
! Planet !! North star !! South star !! notes
|-
| Mercury<ref>2004. [[Starry Night (planetarium software)|Starry Night Pro]], Version 5.8.4. [[Imaginova]]. {{ISBN|978-0-07-333666-4}}. www.starrynight.com</ref>|| [[Omicron Draconis]] || [[Alpha Pictoris]]
|-
| Venus || [[Eta1 Doradus|Eta<sup>1</sup> Doradus]] || [[42 Draconis]]
| The IAU uses the [[Axis–angle representation|right-hand rule]] to define a ''positive pole'' for the purpose of determining orientation. Using this convention, Venus is tilted 177° ("upside down").<ref>{{cite journal
| doi = 10.1007/s10569-010-9320-4
| title = Report of the IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational Elements: 2009
| url = https://astropedia.astrogeology.usgs.gov/alfresco/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/28fd9e81-1964-44d6-a58b-fbbf61e64e15/WGCCRE2009reprint.pdf <!--
| url = https://astropedia.astrogeology.usgs.gov/download/Docs/WGCCRE/WGCCRE2009reprint.pdf -->
| journal = Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy
| volume = 109
| issue = 2
| pages = 101–135
| year = 2010
| last1 = Archinal
| first1 = Brent A.
| last2 = A'Hearn
| first2 = Michael F.
| last3 = Bowell
| first3 = Edward G.
| last4 = Conrad
| first4 = Albert R.
| last5 = Consolmagno
| first5 = Guy J.
| display-authors = 5
| last6 = Courtin
| first6 = Régis
| last7 = Fukushima
| first7 = Toshio
| last8 = Hestroffer
| first8 = Daniel
| last9 = Hilton
| first9 = James L.
| last10 = Krasinsky
| first10 = George A.
| last11 = Neumann
| first11 = Gregory A.
| last12 = Oberst
| first12 = Jürgen
| last13 = Seidelmann
| first13 = P. Kenneth
| last14 = Stooke
| first14 = Philip J.
| last15 = Tholen
| first15 = David J.
| last16 = Thomas
| first16 = Paul C.
| last17 = Williams
| first17 = Iwan P.
| bibcode = 2011CeMDA.109..101A
| s2cid = 189842666
| access-date = 2018-09-06
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065344/http://astropedia.astrogeology.usgs.gov/alfresco/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/28fd9e81-1964-44d6-a58b-fbbf61e64e15/WGCCRE2009reprint.pdf
| archive-date = 2016-03-04
| url-status = dead
| url-access = subscription
}}</ref>
|-
| Moon || [[Omicron Draconis]] || [[Delta Doradus]] || Due to [[axial precession]], the lunar pole describes a small circle on the celestial sphere every 18.6 years. e.g. {{citation |title = The Guinness Book of Astronomy Facts & Feats |page = 29 |author-link = Patrick Moore |first = Patrick |last = Moore |year = 1983 |quote = In 1968 the north pole star of the Moon was Omega Draconis; by 1977 it was 36 Draconis. The south pole star is Delta Doradus.}}
|-
| Mars || The top two stars in the [[Cygnus (constellation)|Northern Cross]], [[Gamma Cygni]] and [[Deneb]], point to the pole.<ref name="Barlow">{{cite book |last=Barlow |first=N. G. |url=https://archive.org/details/marsintroduction00barl_258 |title=Mars: An introduction to its interior, surface and atmosphere |date=2008 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-85226-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/marsintroduction00barl_258/page/n30 21] |url-access=limited}}</ref>
| [[Kappa Velorum]] is a couple of degrees away.
|-
| Jupiter || a little over two degrees away from [[Zeta Draconis]] || about two degrees north of [[Delta Doradus]]
|-
| Saturn || in the far northern region of [[Cepheus (constellation)|Cepheus]], about six degrees from Polaris || [[Delta Octantis]]
|-
| Uranus || [[Eta Ophiuchi]] || [[15 Orionis]] 
|-
| Neptune || midway between [[Gamma Cygni]] and [[Delta Cygni]] || [[Gamma Velorum]]
|}

==In religion and mythology==
[[File:Utsjoki.vaakuna.svg|thumb|upright=0.7|The [[North Star]] pictured in the coat of arms of [[Utsjoki]]]]

In the medieval period, Polaris was also known as [[Our Lady, Star of the Sea|''stella maris'']] ("star of the sea", from its use for navigation at sea), as in e.g. [[Bartholomaeus Anglicus]] (d. 1272), in the translation of [[John Trevisa]] (1397):

{{blockquote|by the place of this sterre place and stedes and boundes of the other sterres and of cercles of heven ben knowen: therefore astronomers beholde mooste this sterre. Then this ster is dyscryved of the moste shorte cercle; for he is ferre from the place that we ben in; he hydeth the hugenesse of his quantite for unmevablenes of his place, and he doth cerfifie men moste certenly, that beholde and take hede therof; and therfore he is called ''stella maris'', the sterre of the see, for he ledeth in the see men that saylle and have shyppemannes crafte.<ref>cited after J. O. Halliwell, (ed.), ''The Works of William Shakespeare'' vol. 5 (1856), [https://books.google.com/books?id=7NVfAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA40 p. 40].]</ref>}}

Polaris was associated with [[Marian veneration]] from an early time, [[Our Lady, Star of the Sea]] being a title of the Blessed Virgin. This tradition goes back to a misreading of [[Saint Jerome]]'s translation of [[Eusebius of Caesarea|Eusebius]]' ''[[Eusebius' Onomasticon|Onomasticon]]'', ''De nominibus hebraicis'' (written ca. 390). Jerome gave ''stilla maris'' "drop of the sea" as a (false) Hebrew etymology of the [[Mary (name)|name ''Maria'']]. This ''stilla maris'' was later misread as ''stella maris''; the misreading is also found in the manuscript tradition of [[Isidore]]'s ''[[Etymologiae]]'' (7th century);<ref>''Conversations-Lexicon Für Bildende Kunst'' vol. 7 (1857), 141f.</ref> it probably arises in the [[Carolingian era]]; a late 9th-century manuscript of Jerome's text still has ''stilla'', not ''stella'',<ref>A. Maas,[https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464a.htm "The Name of Mary"], ''[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]'' (1912)</ref> but [[Paschasius Radbertus]], also writing in the 9th century, makes an explicit reference to the "Star of the Sea" metaphor, saying that Mary is the "Star of the Sea" to be followed on the way to Christ, "lest we capsize amid the storm-tossed waves of the sea."<ref>''stella maris, sive illuminatrix Maria, inter fluctivagas undas pelagi, fide ac moribus sequenda est, ne mergamur undis diluvii'' [[Patrologia Latina|PL]] vol. 120, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wyJKAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA86-IA3 p. 94].</ref>

In [[Mandaean cosmology]], the Pole Star is considered to be auspicious and is associated with the [[World of Light]] ("heaven"). [[Mandaeans]] face north when praying, and [[mandi (Mandaeism)|temples]] are also oriented towards the north. On the contrary, the south is associated with the [[World of Darkness (Mandaeism)|World of Darkness]].<ref name="Bhayro 2020">{{cite book|last=Bhayro|first=Siam|title=Hellenistic Astronomy|chapter=Cosmology in Mandaean Texts|publisher=Brill|date=2020-02-10|chapter-url=https://brill.com/view/book/edcoll/9789004400566/BP000051.xml|access-date=2021-09-03|pages=572–579|doi=10.1163/9789004400566_046|isbn=9789004243361|s2cid=213438712}}</ref>

In [[Hinduism]], the Pole Star is revered and referred to as [[Dhruva]] (Sanskrit: ध्रुव, IAST: Dhruva, lit. "unshakeable, immovable, fixed or eternal"). Dhruva is considered an ascetic devotee of [[Vishnu]] mentioned in the [[Vishnu Purana]] ({{langx|sa|विष्णुपुराण}}) and the [[Bhagavata Purana]] ({{langx|sa|भागवतपुराण}}) who ascended to become the Polestar.
The [[Sanskrit]] term dhruva nakshatra (ध्रुव नक्षत्र, "polar star") has been used for Pole Star in the [[Mahabharata]] ({{langx|sa|महाभारतम्}}), personified as son of [[Uttānapāda]] and grandson of [[Swayambhuva Manu|Manu]] ({{langx|sa|मनु}}).

==See also==
{{Portal|Astronomy|Stars|Spaceflight|Outer space|Solar System}}
* [[Astronomy on Mars#Celestial poles and ecliptic|Astronomy on Mars § Celestial poles and ecliptic]]
* [[Celestial equator]]
* [[Direction determination]]
* [[Empirical evidence for the spherical shape of Earth#Observation of certain, fixed stars from different locations|Empirical evidence for the spherical shape of Earth § Observation of certain, fixed stars from different locations]]
* [[Guide star]]
* [[Lists of stars]]
* [[Worship of heavenly bodies]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|pole star|Pole Star}}
* {{cite web|url=http://webviz.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-5?-out.add=.&-source=I/311/hip2&recno=11739|title=HIP 11767|work=Hipparcos, the New Reduction|author=van Leeuwen, F.|date=2007|access-date=2011-03-01}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061026055548/http://astro2.byu.edu/~sdb/Astrophotos/GuidingLights.html Star trails around Polaris]

{{Star}}

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