How To Locate Polaris (Pole Star / North Star)

First step – Look in the northern sky to find the constellation Ursa Major which is otherwise known as the Great Bear.

Second step – find the Big Dipper (marked in red) which consists of the seven brightest stars of the constellation Ursa Major.  The alternative name for the Big Dipper is the Plough

Third step – In the diagram below, follow the imaginary arrow from the Big Dipper and you will find that it points to the brightest star in the group of stars known as Ursa Minor which is alternatively known as the Little Dipper or the Little Bear. The star to which the arrow points is known as Polaris or the Pole Star.

How to use Polaris to calculate your latitude.

www.astronavigationdemystified.com

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1 Response to How To Locate Polaris (Pole Star / North Star)

  1. O. Shankaran says:

    I have not looked at the sky for many years now but I remember that the Pole Star can be located when the constellation Casseopea is visible in the sky.

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