Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2025 January 14
   [2]A bright star is pictured in the center of field filled with glowing
    gas and dust and other, more faint, stars. Please see the explanation
                       for more detailed information.

                  North Star: Polaris and Surrounding Dust
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Davide Coverta

   Explanation: Why is Polaris called the North Star? First, [4]Polaris is
   the nearest [5]bright star toward the north [6]spin axis of the Earth.
   Therefore, as the [7]Earth turns, stars appear to revolve around
   [8]Polaris, but Polaris itself always stays in the same northerly
   direction -- making it the [9]North Star. Since no bright star is near
   the [10]south spin axis of the Earth, there is currently [11]no bright
   South Star. Thousands of years ago, Earth's spin axis pointed in a
   slightly different direction so that [12]Vega was the North Star.
   Although [13]Polaris is [14]not the brightest star on the sky, it is
   easily located because it is [15]nearly aligned with two stars in the
   cup of the [16]Big Dipper. [17]Polaris is near the center of the
   five-degree wide featured image, a digital composite of hundreds of
   exposures that brings out faint gas and dust of the [18]Integrated Flux
   Nebula (IFN) all over the frame. The surface of [19]Cepheid Polaris
   slowly [20]pulsates, causing the famous star to [21]change its
   brightness by a few percent over the course of a few days.

      Today: [22]Zoom APOD Lecture hosted by the Amateur Astronomers of
                           Association of New York
                      Tomorrow's picture: north nebula
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [38]Specific rights apply.
            [39]NASA Web Privacy, [40]Accessibility, [41]Notices;
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2501/PolarisIfn_Coverta_3050.jpg
   3. https://www.madeofstars.net/home/aboutme
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polaris
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221218.html
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Planets_and_dwarf_planets'_tilt_and_rotation_speed.webm
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
   8. https://youtu.be/cDhSSxmk3PQ
   9. https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/polaris-the-present-day-north-star
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210101.html
  11. https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/6284/is-there-a-south-star
  12. https://www.space.com/21719-vega.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150602.html
  14. https://meowconnectioncom.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/296622-bigthumbnail.jpg
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201116.html
  16. https://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/big-and-little-dippers-highlight-northern-sky
  17. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Ursa_Minor_IAU.svg
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170627.html
  19. https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/cepheids.html
  20. https://youtu.be/7ohkKiZTJOg
  21. https://youtu.be/q-szkabhXQQ
  22. https://aaa.org/event/2025-astronomy-picture-of-the-day/
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250113.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250114
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250115.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/