Polaris

01/25/12, 10 pm, looking north

Polaris (in upper left) shown forth against the encroaching altocumulus clouds on Wednesday night. We had a warm and damp front coming through. The clouds covered the sky by 11 pm, but at 10, there were large gaps in which the stars shown clearly.


Polaris is the North Star, or Pole Star, that marks the direction north. Polaris is a multiple star, composed of six stars that we know of. Polaris remains steady over the North Pole, one of the reasons it is used as an aid to navigation.


Polaris is the end of the handle in the Little Dipper, and the Big Dipper constellation circles around it in 24 hours. It is also the famous star in the Drinking Gourd (Big Dipper) that slaves in American followed to escape to free northern states and Canada.