It always appears due north in the sky and is a reasonably bright star
because its in the south?
Well it won't be soon but the star Gamma Cephie (Alrai) will become the north star in about 3000 CE
celestial navigation
Because it is almost directly North.
Lancelot Minor Berkeley has written: 'North Star navigation' -- subject(s): Navigation
The North Star is a star over the North Pole that historically has been used for navigation. In Christianity, it is the star that people followed to find the newborn savior, Baby Jesus.
Ah, the classic form of navigation. North can be found by locating the North Star. Look around, and it is the brightest star you can see. That, obviously points north.
The North Star is a star named Polaris, in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It sits, entirely coincidentally, almost precisely above the North Pole of the Earth, and so it is very useful for navigation. Polaris is actually a pretty dim star; it is the dimmest of the stars generally used for navigation, solely because of its position in the sky. Metaphorically, the phrase "north star" is often used to denote a constant point of reference.
celestial navigation LIAR!
People use the north star as a navigation tool. Everyone knows that the direction of south will be the opposite of the star. East and west will also be able to determine.
The North Star is a star named Polaris, in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It sits, entirely coincidentally, almost precisely above the North Pole of the Earth, and so it is very useful for navigation. Polaris is actually a pretty dim star; it is the dimmest of the stars generally used for navigation, solely because of its position in the sky. Metaphorically, the phrase "north star" is often used to denote a constant point of reference.
The northern star is aligned with the north pole. Thusly it tells you where due north is. Once a person knows where north is, any direction can be figured out. That is why it is used for navigation.