Lesson 11 of 19
The star that stays still
Show on a big screenWatch the night sky for hours. One star seems to stay in its place.
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The idea
Step 1 of 3
- A group of stars, and the Pole Star beside it.
- Six hours later, the group has turned a quarter of a circle.
- Each star leaves a curved trail round the Pole Star.
The Pole Star sits almost over Earth's north pole. So it hardly moves. Other stars circle it.
A full circle is 360 degrees. The sky seems to turn 15 degrees every hour. A long photograph shows each star as an arc, a curved line. These arcs are star trails.
The Pole Star is seen from the north half of Earth.
Watch out!
The Pole Star is not the brightest star. It is the one that seems not to move.
Try the lab to finish this lesson.