How to find the North Star?

It unites romantics and philosophers, huntersand travelers. Some she attracts with her beauty and brightness, for others the means of survival. Everyone needs her, and everyone is looking for her. Do you know how to find the North Star?

polar Star

The polar star is a star located inclose proximity to the North Pole, which is practically stationary when the starry sky rotates in a day. The minimum deviation of the star from the North Pole is very convenient when orienting on the terrain. The direction to the Polar star practically coincides with the direction to the north.

The polar star is in the constellation MalayaThe bear is called Kinasura (Alpha Minor Dipper). It, in fact, is a star system of three stars. The largest of them is more than 5 times the size of the Sun.

Considering that the Earth's axis moves in a circle witha certain speed and radius, the polar star changes. So the modern Polar will be actual until 3500, then it will be replaced by the star Alray from the constellation Cepheus.

Looking for a Polaris

Remember the simple instruction how to find Polarstar. In the starry sky it is necessary to find a configuration of seven stars. The light of these stars is bright, which allows them to stand out against the general background of the sky. The configuration resembles the image of the bucket. This is the constellation Ursa Major. After two stars forming the far wall of the ladle, draw a mental line, the direction "from the ladle". Set aside the distance equal to five of these walls, at the end of this distance and there will be the North Star. Focusing on it, you move north.