STAR SYSTEM. Polaris is not a single star, but a multiple star system. The main component, Alpha Ursae Minoris Aa, is an evolved yellow supergiant star belonging to the spectral class F7. It is 2,500 times more luminous than the Sun, 4.5 times more massive, and has a radius 46 times that of the Sun.
This of course begs the inquiry “Which constellation is polaris the north star?”
Polaris, also known as the North Star, Alpha Ursae Minoris or Star of Arcady, is the brightest star in Ursa Minor constellation. It is the closest bright star to the North Celestial Pole.
How do you find the Polaris constellation?
To locate Polaris, all you have to do is to find the Big Dipper pointer stars Dubhe and Merak. These two stars outline the outer part of the Big Dipper’s bowl. Simply draw a line from Merak through Dubhe, and go about five times the Merak/Dubhe distance to Polaris. If you can find the Big Dipper, you can find Polaris.
One of the next things we asked ourselves was; what is the leading edge of the Polaris constellation?
The leading edge (defined by the stars Dubhe and Merak ) is referenced to a clock face, and the true azimuth of Polaris worked out for different latitudes. The apparent motion of Polaris towards and, in the future, away from the celestial pole, is due to the precession of the equinoxes.
It is classified as a classical Population I (metal-rich) Cepheid variable and is the nearest star of this kind to Earth. Polaris is easily visible to the unaided eye, but not exceptionally bright. It is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, but only the 48th brightest star in the sky.
Where is the North Star Polaris located?
Polaris, the North Star, lies at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper (lower left), whose stars are faint compared to those of the Big Dipper (upper right). Polaris is located in the constellation of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear.
Polaris is located in the constellation of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. It sometimes also goes by the name “Stella Polaris.”. The seven stars from which we derive a bear are also known as the Little Dipper. Polaris, the North Star, lies at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper, whose stars are rather faint.