pole star

Also known as polestar, lodestar, lode star, polarstar, polar star, guiding star

visible star that is approximately aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation

~15 min read

Article

Northern Hemisphere circumpolar stars around Polaris, with a long-exposure producing a star trail photo

A pole star is a visible star that is approximately aligned with the axis of rotation of an astronomical body; that is, a star whose apparent position is close to one of the celestial poles. On Earth, a pole star would lie directly overhead when viewed from the North or the South Pole.