Finding the North Star

Have you heard of the North Star?The North Star is located almost directly over the Earth’s geographic north pole.

The North Star…

…is known to astronomers as “Polaris” because of its place over the North Pole.

…is really useful if you are in the Earth’s northern hemisphere, and you are lost in the wilderness on a clear night.

How can the North Star help me if I’m lost?

The North Star tells you which direction is North.

If you know which way is North, you can figure out the other directions.

What is the name of the North Star?

Arcturus

Polaris

Deneb

What is important about the North Star?

It’s always in the North.

It’s always right over your head.

It’s always in the East.

So…how do I use the North Star to find my way?

Let’s say you are lost in a forest at night. You know that there is a road to the South East, but you don’t have a compass, so you don’t know which direction is South East.

Road is here somewhere

You are here

?

You keep the North Star to your left and a little behind you as you walk, which means you are walking South East. Eventually, you will find the road.

N

SE

N

EW

S

You know you must walk West. You see the North Star. Draw a line to show

which way you would walk.North Star is here

N

?

You have to walk South. You see the North Star. Which way do you walk, relative to the

North Star?

Walk toward the North Star

Walk away from the North Star

Keep the North Star at your left shoulder

Keep the North Star at your right shoulder

How do I find the North Star?

There are a few steps you have to follow.

First, you find this constellation, or group of stars, called “Ursa Major,” the Greater Bear. You will see only the stars; you have to use your imagination to see the bear.

How do I find the North Star?

Ursa Major is easy to find, because in the middle of it are seven really bright stars. Some people call these seven stars the “Big Dipper,” others call them “Charles’s Wain” or “The Plough.”Different cultures have other names for these stars.

How do I find the North Star?

Take a look at the two stars that are opposite the “handle” of the Big Dipper. These stars are the pointer stars.

Pointer stars

The pointer stars point to the North Star, Polaris.

In the direction of the arrows, at about five times the distance between the pointer stars, you will find the North Star.

North Star

Imagine that the arrows point the same way water would flow from the bowl of the dipper.

How do you use the Big Dipper to find the North Star?

Follow the handle

Follow the stars across the bowl from the handle

Polaris is on the end of the handle of the Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear.

The stars in Ursa Minor —including the North Star—are much dimmer than the stars in the Big Dipper. So you need to know where to look. That’s why you have to use the Big Dipper.

North Star

Together, the Big Dipper and Little Dipper look a bit like

this:

At different times of the year, they may be oriented

differently.June

October

They always keep the same position relative to each other, however.

Big Dipper

Big Dipper

Little Dipper

Little Dipper

Mark where you would look for the North Star.

Circle Polaris, the North Star.

Circle the pointer stars, and draw an arrow to show which way they point.

Yes

No

Is the North Star as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper?