St. Louis Science Center: Astronomy Fact Of The Day: February 22, 2022

Press release from St. Louis Science Center:

February 22, 2022

The axis of the Earth extends from the north pole and points almost directly at the North Star. This causes all the other stars in the night sky to appear to spin around the north star. However, if we were to travel to the southern hemisphere, there is no equivalent “South Star”. Earth’s axis extends from the south pole into a small area of space free of bright stars. The closest visible star is Polaris Australis, which hovers near the south celestial pole, but it is very dim and difficult to see even on a clear night.

This press release was produced by St. Louis Science Center. The views expressed here are the author’s own.