Yes due to precession.
About 12,000 BC Vega was the North Star, lying approximately at the north celestial pole, not Polaris, and in around 3200 years from now, the star Gamma Cephei (the 4th brightest star in the constellation Cepheus will be so, until about 5200 AD when Iota Cephei takes over. In about 10,000 AD it will be replaced by Deneb in the constellation of Cygnus, followd by Vega again in around 14,000 AD, until Polaris resumes the role in around 27,800 AD.
This is due to the slow wobbling of the Earth's polar axis called Precession (or more specifically axial precession). At the present rate of precession the cycle takes 25,772 years.
How to find Polaris
Find The Plough (the Big Dipper) and draw a line from the Pointer Stars, extending it about 3 fist-widths to get to Polaris, which is at the end of the little Dipper's handle (Ursa minor).
Polaris
This is a triple star system (Polaris A, Polaris Ab and Polaris B) around 440 light years from Earth. Due to it being close to the point where the Earth's north polar axis points, it appears motionless in the sky, with all other stars appearing to circle around it.
Comments