Happy Space Science Saturday! Polaris, also known as Alpha Ursae Minoris, seen in this image is in the constellation Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper). It is about 433 light-years away from Earth and has a magnitude of around +1.98, making it the brightest star in Ursa Minor. Polaris lies almost directly above Earth’s North Pole, only about 0.65° off from true north. That’s why it has been used for navigation for centuries.

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