🌟 Star Stories
How different cultures saw the same stars - mythology meets science
Polaris
Alpha Ursae Minoris
ConstellationUrsa Minor
Magnitude1.98
Distance433 light-years
Spectral TypeF7Ib
Scientific Facts
- •Polaris is actually a triple star system
- •It's a Cepheid variable star, pulsing with a period of about 4 days
- •It hasn't always been the North Star - Earth's axis precesses over 26,000 years
- •In about 12,000 years, Vega will be the new 'North Star'
Greek Tradition
“Kynosoura”
Greek name for Polaris
Associated with Callisto, transformed into a bear by Zeus and placed in the sky to forever circle the pole.
Cultural Context
The same star was known by different names across civilizations, reflecting each culture's unique relationship with the night sky. These stories were used for navigation, agriculture, spirituality, and passing down knowledge through generations.