January 10, 2024
At any point throughout the year it is possible to find Polaris, or the North Star, in the same location in our northern sky. Unlike other stars, it does not appear to move through the sky throughout the night. Instead, other stars appear to revolve around Polaris while it remains stationary. This happens because the axis of the Earth extends through the north pole and points almost directly at this star.
Circumpolar star trails seen over the European Southern Observatory 3.6-meter telescope. Image credit: ESO/A.Santerne, Jmencisom