Steℓℓa Polaris

Because of its importance in celestial navigation, Polaris is known by numerous names. It became known as Polaris during the Rennaissance, its name derived from the Latin polaris "of/near the (north) pole". One ancient name for Polaris was Cynosūra, from the Greek κυνόσουρα "the dog’s tail" (reflecting a time when the constellation of Ursa Minor "Little Bear" was taken to represent a dog), whence the English word cynosure. Most other names are directly tied to its role as pole star. In English, it was known as "pole star" or "north star", in Spenser also "steadfast star". An older English name, attested since the 14th century, is lodestar "guiding star", cognate with the Old Norse leiðarstjarna, Middle High German leitsterne. Use of the name Polaris in English dates to the 17th century. It is an ellipsis for the Latin stella polaris "pole star". In traditional Indian astronomy, its name in Sanskrit dhruva tāra, literally "fixed star".