This animation demonstrates precession, at a very accelerated rate.
Animation by Matthew Merlo
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Polaris will not always be the North Star. Because of the Sum and the Moon, the Earth wobbles in its rotation. This wobble cause the North and South celestial poles to trace small circles in the sky. This is called precession. It takes the poles 26,000 years to return to the same spot in the circle. Because of this precession, Vega will be the North star in approximately 13,000 years.
This animation demonstrates precession, at a very accelerated rate.
Animation by Matthew Merlo
Back