The North Star has faithfully guided travelers for centuries, but its light isnt constant.
Instead, it pulses more brightly on some nights than on others.
Now, astronomers also know that the star known as Polaris is covered in spots.
Polaris, known as the North Star, sits at the center of this image, which captures the movement of stars around the north celestial pole over several hours.Credit: NASA/Preston Dyches
Because its so close to that point, it doesnt appear to move much as the Earth rotates.
Despite that constant location, Polaris is hardly static.
A much fainter star orbits it once every 30 years.
We hope to better understand the mechanism that generates the spots on the surface of Polaris.
The spots werent the only new feature the team discovered.
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