The North Star, also known as Polaris, is a bright star located in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is the brightest star of the Little Dipper and can be used as a navigational aid since it is always in the night sky and is directly in line with the north celestial pole. The North Star is important because it provides direction and has been used as a navigational aid by navigators and travelers for centuries. It was used by sailors to find direction and seafarers to follow their course. Even today, it is still used by navigators in air and sea travel. It is also used by astronomers as a reference point for determining location and measuring distances.