This is an artist's depiction of Polaris in the constellation Ursa Minor.
Click on image for full size
NASA, ESA, G. Bacon (STScI)
Polaris is Big!
News story originally written on June 14, 2000
Have you ever seen the star Polaris? How about the North Star? They are actually the same star! Polaris is called the North Star because it is above the North Pole.
Scientists measured the size of Polaris. They say it is 46 times bigger than the Sun. Polaris is a cepheid star. Cepheids are special stars that get bigger for a while and then shrink.
Polaris is in the constellation Ursa Minor
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