Polaris Drifts, Errai Takes Over

There was no single bright North Star through much of antiquity, because the north celestial pole drifted through relatively star-poor sky and never sat close to a standout naked-eye marker. After about 2100, Polaris will start moving away from the celestial north pole as Earth’s axis continues its slow precession. The north celestial pole will not swing close to the next good candidate, Gamma Cephei (Errai), until roughly 4200 AD.

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