Ronda Bolander, age 13, of Prescott, Ariz., for her question:

WHAT IS THE NORTH STAR?

A celestial body in the night sky called Polaris is nearest to true north, the direction of the Earth's rotational axis. It is also called the North Star because it is associated with the direction of the North Pole.

The North Star can be seen clearly and identified easily. For this reason, it has long served as a guide for travelers and surveyors.

To find the North Star you must first find the Big Dipper, which can be easily recognized in the northern sky. The two stars in the bowl farthest from the handle are the Pointers. An imaginary line drawn through the Pointers, and about five times longer than the distance between them, comes very near the bright North Star.

Astronomers named the North Star the Alpha Ursae Minoris. It is the alpha, or brightest star, in the constellation Ursa Minor, more often called the Little Dipper. It is the last star in the Little Dipper's handle.