Precession of Earth’s rotation pole means brightest star in Cepheus will one day function as north star
This week, track down the northern constellation of Cepheus, the king of Ethiopia in Greek mythology. Although somewhat faint, the constellation is large and relatively easy to locate because of its proximity to the W-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia, who was Cepheus’s wife.
The chart shows the view all week looking roughly south from London and up towards the zenith. The brightest star in Cepheus is Alderamin, located 49 light years from Earth. Because of the precession of the Earth’s rotation pole, in the year 7500 Alderamin will function as the north star.
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