Circumpolar Stars

Circumpolar stars are stars that never go down. Most stars rise and set each night, just like the Sun. But some stars stay in the sky all night long. They make circles around a point called the celestial pole. You can see them any night of the year.

Stars That Never Set

Which stars are circumpolar depends on where you live. If you live far north, more stars stay up all night. At the North Pole, every star you see is circumpolar. Near the equator, there are almost none. These stars circle around the North Star, which is also called Polaris.

Famous Examples

The Big Dipper is a famous group of circumpolar stars in the northern sky. The Little Dipper is too. So is a W-shaped pattern called Cassiopeia. People long ago used these stars to find north at night. Sailors could look at them to steer their ships. Today, star watchers love to find them in every season.

Fun Facts

• The North Star stays almost still because it is near the celestial pole.
• At the South Pole, the South Star is not very bright.
• The Big Dipper is part of a bigger constellation called Ursa Major, the big bear.

Did You Know?

If you took a long picture of the sky at night, circumpolar stars would look like circles around one center point.