supergiant · F7Ib
Polaris
Polaris is a yellow-white supergiant (spectral type F7Ib) about 430 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 1.97 it is a very bright, conspicuous star.
The pole star points almost exactly north. It pulsates slightly.
Its light output is roughly 2,400 times that of the Sun (a rough estimate in visible light, calculated from brightness and distance).
From Germany (52° N) it never sets: it stays above the horizon all year.
Key facts
- Distance
- ≈ 430 light-years
- Spectral type
- F7Ib (supergiant)
- Colour
- Yellow-white
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.97 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 2,400 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 2h 32m, declination 89.3°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.