The Earth's rotation axis is currently oriented so that the north axis points near the direction of the star Polaris ( α Ursæ Minoris, sometimes called the "North Star”). The north axis has n...The Earth's rotation axis is currently oriented so that the north axis points near the direction of the star Polaris ( α Ursæ Minoris, sometimes called the "North Star”). The north axis has not always pointed toward Polaris, though; the Earth's rotation axis actually moves in a big circle (of radius 23.5∘ ) with a period of about 26,000 years; this motion is called precession.
