More to the North Star Than Meets the Eye

__roo writes "By stretching the capabilities of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to the limit, astronomers have photographed the close companion of Polaris for the first time. This sequence of images shows that the North Star, Polaris is really a triple star system. 'The star we observed is so close to Polaris that we needed every available bit of Hubble's resolution to see it'" said astronomer Nancy Evans of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts."

Comments

Just Beyond The Capabilities of My 125 ETX

[ackthpt]

Cool as beans, but still won't save dear old Hubble, will it? The one thing Hubble can't find, no matter how much straining of limits is the willingness of NASA to save the faithful servant. With recent budget cuts for Katrina and the on-going war, don't hold your breath for a reprieve.

they should nickname the mini star, Cooper

Got an ETX for Christmas? You should know this site.

ummm...

[heatdeath]

Am I the only one who doesn't think that that's very clearly a triple star from the pictures? =P The title of the article made it look like the light we see from it is actually from three really close together stars...but it seems like we're only seem polaris A, since the smaller ones are so tiny.

Hubble

[Anonymous Coward]

I know this article will devolve into a discussion of the relative pros and cons of our current space program and its priorities, but you really have to go outside at night for a few minutes in December or January when it's crystal clear and you're shivering from the cold and even near a city you can look up at those mysterious lights in the sky and get that sense of wonder, and of how small and yet how important we really are.

Re:Hubble

[10101001 10101001]

you can look up at those mysterious lights in the sky and get that sense of wonder, and of how small and yet how important we really are. (emphasis mine)

This is what sets us apart from the animals. Animals don't have that sort of ego. But I guess animals don't have the need to try to justify their existance.

Re:Not really "close" to the main star as we know

[Rude Turnip]

I don't know much about astronomy, but putting it even on *that* scale makes me say, "wow, that is really, really close!"

Wanna run that by me again?

[pair-a-noyd]

You know, that part about splashing Hubble into ocean?
Stupid bastards.

Hubble is the very best thing Nasa has ever put into orbit around Earth.
Leave it the f**k alone..

"Close" is a relative word...

[aconkling]

Yes, but Saturn is a planet of Sol (our sun); for another star to be at this distance is "close." Our nearest star is Proxima centauri, a mere 268 000 AU away (approximately).

Re:Not Informative

[Reality Master 101]

Certainly not every Christian looks to superstition to "prove" their faith. But I don't even have to go to creationism to prove my point (which is too easy a target anyway), I only have to go to the current news... Pat Robertson's comments about Ariel Sharon's stroke being divine retribution.

I think for fun, I'll keep a lookout for someone making this point.