Polaris, The Iconic North Star Is Changing!

Information about Polaris
Drop everything and let me give you a really fun fact about the North Star to share with your friends and family, in the hopes of sounding a little smarter and up to date in the science field. Everything we know about this star has just been put under a huge question mark!
Polaris, also known as the North Star, has been guiding travelers for centuries in determining the direction of north on Earth. This star is located in the constellation Ursa Minor, commonly known as the Little Dipper. Thanks to its fixed position relative to the Earth's rotation axis, Polaris remains almost directly above the North Pole throughout the night. This makes it a reliable reference point for navigators, astronomers, and even everyday stargazers who want to locate the North direction, since the beginning of civilization!
At the center of the Little Dipper, Polaris is part of a triple star system. It consists of a primary star and two companions, which are much fainter and orbit around the main star.
The interesting aspect of Polaris that we will be focusing on is its pulsating nature. It periodically varies in brightness, which can be clearly observed and determined by astronomers. This characteristic is usually studied to gain insights into the distance of stars and gain more information on the acceleration rate of the Universe

What is Happening? 
Very recent studies have shown that the pulsations of the star haven’t been showing exactly what we expected them to. Its pulsations have been undergoing weird changes in the past 200 years, and we only really noticed today!

Types of Stars Around It
The Polaris I keep mentioning is the main star, more professionally called Polaris AA. It is a yellow super giant, also called an F type star.

Direct Observations
Here's the interesting part about Cepheid variables- their total brightness is directly linked to their pulsation! It's like their own little light show

Something is Weird!
Recently, the observations from Polaris have added a new twist to the story. Astronomers have been keeping tabs on it and have noticed some interesting things.
Possible Causes We Know Of
As we get into the intricacies, it becomes a little apparent that the cause lies within the orbital dynamics at play. Let's take a closer look at the enigmatic situation.
Consequences
However, this new finding presents a huge problem. As I mentioned earlier, Cepheid variables are commonly used to accurately determine distances, because of their unchanging nature
Outro
In conclusion, the discovery of how Cepheid variables are influenced by their partner stars has raised concerns regarding the accuracy of distance measurement
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DISCUSSIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA

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Credits: Ron Miller, Mark A. Garlick / MarkGarlick.com ,Elon Musk/SpaceX/ Flickr
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00:00 Intro
1:40 What is Happening?
2:42 What type of star are orbiting Polaris
3:52 direct observations
5:56 Something is weird!
8:27 possible causes we know of:
9:30 consequences

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Видео Polaris, The Iconic North Star Is Changing! канала Insane Curiosity