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Article: The Inconvenient Truth Of Polaris, The North Star

Article from:
Intelligencer Journal Lancaster, PA
Article date:
April 12, 2008
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Some of the biggest astronomy misconceptions relate to the North Star. For example, what is the brightest star in the night sky? Many would answer the North Star; however, that is far from the truth.

There are 47 stars brighter than Polaris. What is the brightest star in the night sky? Look in the south-southwest at 9 p.m. and you will see the answer: Sirius. Yes, I am serious. Sirius is seriously bright and the brightest star in the night sky.

The brightness of Polaris actually changes slightly over four days. It is a variable star. Its change in brightness is due to the star pulsating, which happens once a star stops the process of hydrogen fusion within its core.

Another surprise is that ...

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