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Polaris

in Ursa MinorOpen

OpenRare

Polaris

α UMi in Ursa Minor

Once ignited, 20% of its creator fees go to the Starlight Fund, which pays for a real telescope photo of Polaris.

#46 brightest in our sky; really 46× Sun. 46× wider than the Sun. It looks modest only because it’s so far away (~430 ly). It’s a giant.

Polaris and the Sun, true relative size.

The North Star and its companion. Telescope photo by NASA, ESA, N. Evans (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA), and H. Bond (STScI), Public domain, source. Archive image, not a Starlight Fund observation.

Apparent magnitude: 1.97
Brightness rank: #46 brightest
Luminosity: 1,260× Sun
Width: 46× Sun
Surface temperature: 6000 K · F
Distance: 433 ly
Right ascension: 02h 32m
Declination: +89.3°

Sources: IAU WGSN name, HYG database, HIP 11767. Width is derived from luminosity and temperature, so it is approximate.

Also in Ursa Minor

Kochab
Pherkad
Yildun
Baekdu

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