Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. It is the brightest star in the constellation and is readily visible to the naked eye at night. The star lies less than 1° away from the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star.
Although appearing to the naked eye as a single point of light, Polaris is a triple star system, composed of the primary, a yellow supergiant designated Polaris Aa, the smaller Polaris Ab, and Polaris B.
The Gaia mission (to create the largest, most precise three-dimensional map of the Milky Way) gives a distance from Earth to Polaris of about 447.6 light-years.
Because Polaris lies nearly in a direct line with the Earth's rotational axis "above" the North Pole (the north celestial pole) Polaris stands almost motionless in the sky, and all the stars of the northern sky appear to rotate around it. The stable position of the star in the Northern Sky makes it useful for navigation. The elevation of the star above the horizon gives the approximate latitude of the observer.
As one of the brighter stars close to the celestial pole, Polaris was used for navigation at least from late antiquity, and described as ἀεί φανής (aei phanēs) "always visible" in 5th century, and it could reasonably be described as stella polaris from about the High Middle Ages. On his first trans-Atlantic voyage in 1492, Christopher Columbus had to correct for the "circle described by the pole star about the pole". Polaris was referenced in Nathaniel Bowditch's 1802 book, American Practical Navigator, where it is listed as one of the navigational stars.
Since seeing the North Star meant sailors were on their way home, it also became a symbol of good luck. In fact, the North Star is common in tattoos, especially for seafarers, in hopes of keeping luck with them at all times.
Polaris is also linked to the Virgin Mary, whose ancient title was Our Lady, Star of the Sea. The words Star of the Sea are a translation of the Latin title Stella Maris. The title has been in use since at least the early medieval period, it came to be seen as allegorical of Mary's role as "guiding star" on the way to Christ. Under this name, the Virgin Mary is believed to intercede as a guide and protector of seafarers in particular.
In the Hindu Puranas, Polaris became personified under the name Dhruva ("immovable, fixed"). An older English name, attested since the 14th century, is lodestar "guiding star", cognate with the Old Norse leiðarstjarna.
It was invoked as a symbol of
steadfastness in poetry, as "steadfast star" by Spenser. Shakespeare's sonnet 116 is an example of the symbolism of the north star as a guiding principle: "O no! it is an ever-fixed mark / That looks on tempests and is never shaken / It is the star to every wandering bark / Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken." In Julius Caesar, he has Caesar explain his refusal to grant a pardon by saying, "I am as constant as the northern star/Of whose true-fixed and resting quality/There is no fellow in the firmament./The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks,/They are all fire and every one doth shine,/But there's but one in all doth hold his place;/So in the world" (III, i, 65–71).
By the 17th century, the North Star was used figuratively for anything that was the focus of attention. Due to this, the North Star also became associated with life’s purpose, heart’s true desires, and unchangeable ideals to follow in your life. Just like the literal North Star, it gives you direction in life.
In Inuit astronomy, Polaris is known as Niqirtsuituq. It is depicted on the flag and coat of arms of the Canadian Inuit territory of Nunavut, as well as on the flag of the U.S. state of Alaska.
In traditional Lakota star knowledge, Polaris is named "Wičháȟpi owáŋžila". This translates to "The Star that Sits Still". This name comes from a Lakota story in which he married Tapun San Win "Red Cheeked Woman". However she fell from the heavens, and in his grief he stared down from "waŋkátu" (the above land) forever.
Polaris is pictured in the coat of arms of Utsjoki.
In the 1800s, the North Star played a role in helping African American slaves find their way north to freedom. The Underground Railroad wasn’t a physical railroad, but it included secret routes such as safe houses, churches, private homes, meeting points, rivers, caves and forests. One of the best-known conductors of the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman, who mastered the navigation skills of following the North Star. She helped others seek freedom in the north with the help of the North Star, which showed them the direction to northern United States and Canada. After the end of the Civil War, the African American folksong Follow the Drinking Gourd became popular. The term drinking gourd was a code name for the Big Dipper, which was used by escaping slaves to locate Polaris. There was also an anti-slavery newspaper The North Star, which focused on the fight to end slavery in America.
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