The North StarPolaris

Who discovered Polaris?

Polaris was discovered by astronomer William Herschel in the year 1780.

Apparent and Absolute Magnitude Apparent magnitude

of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere

Polaris has an apparent magnitude of 1.97v

Absolute magnitude is the measure of a celestial object's intrinsic brightness

Its absolute magnitude is -3.64

Distance From EarthHow far away is Polaris?

Astronomers estimate Polaris’ distance at 430 light-years

Which means itmust be pretty bright!

What color is Polaris?

 white and slightly yellowish

Polaris

How hot is it on Polaris?Surface temperature

The surface temperature of Polaris is 7200 degrees Kelvin. That is the equivalent of 12500.33 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also

comparable to 6926.85 Celcius

Where can I find Polaris?

Polaris is located in the constellation of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear.

The best way to find your way to Polaris is to use the so-called “Pointer” stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper, Dubhe and Merak.  Just draw a line, between these two stars and extend it out about 5 times, and you eventually will arrive in the vicinity of Polaris.

What kind of star is Polaris?

Polaris is a hot, blue bright giant star. More specifically it is a Cepheid Variable star, which means that it is a pulsating variable star that pulsates with a period of almost four days.