There are few travel experiences that capture Dubai's paradoxes-its love of spectacle and its reverence for heritage-quite like dune bashing. The city's futuristic skyline fades in the rearview mirror, and within an hour the road loosens into sand, where SUVs gather like ships at the edge of a shifting sea.
Desert Safari Dubai traditional costume photos
Dubai Desert Experience
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Desert Safari Dubai dress code
Desert Safari Dubai Deira pickup
Tires are softened, seat belts clicked, and the quiet anticipation of the desert gives way to the drumbeat of engines. Then, with a confident nudge of the throttle, you enter the golden theater of the dunes.
Dune bashing is exactly what it sounds like: an off-road adventure across rolling sand hills, performed by skilled drivers who read the landscape the way sailors read waves. In Dubai, the dunes are not mere scenery but a living surface that moves with the wind, rises and collapses, and presents every convoy with a new puzzle each day. The sensation is part roller coaster, part surfing, part dance. You climb a ridge, hover on the crest with a view that runs to the horizon, and then slip down the slope in a controlled slide, sand whispering against the undercarriage like rain on a drum.
If you've never been on sand before, your first surprise might be how technical it is. Good drivers don't bully the desert; they negotiate with it. Momentum matters more than speed. They angle across the face of dunes rather than attacking them head-on, a technique called side-sloping that keeps the vehicle floating rather than digging in. Steering is gentle, throttle steady, movements deliberate and smooth. There's a choreography unfolding-convoy spacing, hand signals, radio chatter-that keeps everyone safe in a landscape with no fixed lanes and no reliable landmarks besides the sun.
And then there's the desert itself. The color changes as the day moves-pale gold in the late morning, deepening to honey and copper by afternoon, rust-red on certain famous dunes like Big Red near Lahbab. Wind scribbles small ripples across the sand; your tracks draw bold lines that the breeze will erase by morning. On still days you can hear the soft hiss as grains slip down the lee of a dune. On lucky days you might spot faint traces of fox or lizard, or a hawk circling in the thermals. It's a reminder that this seemingly empty place is a habitat, delicate and perfectly adapted.
Most dune bashing outings in Dubai are built into a broader desert experience. After an hour or so of driving, the convoy will pause for photos at a lookout point-a ridge where the desert seems to fold into itself endlessly-and the quiet astonishes, as if the city were a rumor you once heard.
Desert Safari Dubai traditional costume photos
Desert Safari Dubai traditional costume photos
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Desert Safari Dubai with overnight stay
Some tours switch gears then: a chance to sandboard down gentler slopes, or trade four wheels for a quad bike. As the light softens, many itineraries head to a camp styled on Bedouin traditions, where there's tea poured high to cool it, the smoky drift of barbecue, henna patterns blooming on hands, and sometimes a falconer offering a close view of a desert aristocrat. These camp evenings can feel touristy or genuinely soulful, depending on the operator and group size, but even the staged parts are animated by a real pride in hospitality and the desert's legacy.
There are practicalities that make a big difference. Go at sunrise if you can: the dunes are cooler and less crowded, the light is generous, and the experience feels more intimate. Sunset is the classic slot for a reason-the colors, the temperature-but it's also popular. Motion sickness is real; consider skipping a heavy lunch and choose a seat where you can focus on the horizon. Children can go, but check age and height requirements, and pregnant travelers or those with neck or back issues should choose a gentler desert drive instead. Above all, wear your seat belt; the best drivers are careful, but sand is unpredictable by design.
The question of impact comes up often, and it should. A desert looks empty, but it's not empty of life, and it's not indestructible. Tire tracks usually fade quickly, but fragile vegetation and small burrows can be damaged by careless driving. Litter doesn't dissolve into sand any better than it does into grass. This is where your choice of operator matters. Look for companies that cap group sizes, avoid sensitive areas, keep to established routes when wildlife is present, and participate in clean-up or conservation efforts. In the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, for example, tours operate under stricter guidelines, trading the most aggressive dune maneuvers for a more nature-forward experience. It's a different flavor of wonder, quieter but often deeper.
There's also a cultural layer that gives dune bashing its context. Long before there were highways, the desert was not a barrier but a home and a corridor for trade. The modern affection in the UAE for four-wheel drives isn't just flash-it's an evolution of comfort with sand and space, a continuation of traveling and living with the dunes rather than despite them. Falconry, camel husbandry, poetry about the desert's moods: these traditions infuse what can otherwise seem like a pure adrenaline outing. When a driver pauses to read the wind on the ridge or points out a set of tracks with the familiarity of an old friend, you glimpse that continuity.
Is dune bashing for everyone? Not quite. Some people will find the motion overwhelming, the controlled slides unnerving. Others will be frustrated if an experience leans too heavily on kitsch. But for many, there is a precise joy in it: the thrill without the chaos, nature without the pretense of conquering it, an epic landscape reached within an hour of a glass-and-steel city. A well-run trip feels less like an amusement ride and more like a lesson in balance-between momentum and restraint, between spectacle and respect, between the desert's silence and our human urge to fill it.
If you go, bring water, sunscreen, and patience for the sand that will inevitably get into your shoes. Bring curiosity, too. Red Dunes Dubai . Ask your driver why they chose that line down the dune, or how the wind shapes the ridges you're crossing. Watch how the sun resets the desert's color palette every minute. And when the engines finally go quiet and the stars come on with startling clarity, let yourself be small for a while.
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Desert Safari Dubai early bird offer
Dubai Safari Deals
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Family desert safari Dubai
Dune bashing in Dubai is an adrenaline story, yes, but it's also a humbling one: a reminder that the world still has places where the ground moves, the sky runs wide, and the horizon invites rather than confines.
About Polaris
Northern pole-star; brightest star in Ursa Minor
This article is about the Earth's current north star. For such stars in general, see pole star. For other uses, see Polaris (disambiguation) and North Star (disambiguation).
"Stella Polaris" redirects here. For the military operation, see Operation Stella Polaris.
α UMi A: 1 Ursae Minoris, BD+88°8, FK5 907, GC 2243, HD 8890, HIP 11767, HR 424, SAO 308
α UMi B: NSV 631, BD+88°7, GC 2226, SAO 305
Database references
SIMBAD
α UMi A
α UMi B
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris (Latinized to Alpha Ursae Minoris) and is commonly called the North Star. With an apparent magnitude that fluctuates around 1.98,[3] it is the brightest star in the constellation and is readily visible to the naked eye at night.[16] The position of the star lies less than 1° away from the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star. The stable position of the star in the Northern Sky makes it useful for navigation.[17]
Although appearing to the naked eye as a single point of light, Polaris is a triple star system, composed of the primary, a yellow supergiant designated Polaris Aa, in orbit with a smaller companion, Polaris Ab; the pair is almost certainly[14] in a wider orbit with Polaris B. The outer companion B was discovered in August 1779 by William Herschel, with the inner Aa/Ab pair only confirmed in the early 20th century.
As the closest Cepheid variable, Polaris Aa's distance is a foundational part of the cosmic distance ladder. The revised Hipparcos stellar parallax gives a distance to Polaris A of about 432 light-years (ly) (133 parsecs (pc)), while the successor mission Gaia gives a distance of 446.5 ly (136.9 pc) for Polaris B[9][a].
Stellar system
[edit]
Polaris components as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope
Polaris Aa is an evolved yellow supergiant of spectral type F7Ib with 5.4 solar masses (M☉). It is the first classical Cepheid to have a mass determined from its orbit. The two smaller companions are Polaris B, a 1.39 M☉ F3 main-sequence star orbiting at a distance of 2,400 astronomical units (AU),[18] and Polaris Ab (or P), a very close F6 main-sequence star with a mass of 1.26 M☉.[3] In January 2006, NASA released images, from the Hubble telescope, that showed the three members of the Polaris ternary system.[19][20]
Polaris B can be resolved with a modest telescope. William Herschel discovered the star in August 1779 using a reflecting telescope of his own, one of the best telescopes of the time.[21]
The variable radial velocity of Polaris A was reported by W. W. Campbell in 1899, which suggested this star is a binary system.[22] Since Polaris A is a known cepheid variable, J. H. Moore in 1927 demonstrated that the changes in velocity along the line of sight were due to a combination of the four-day pulsation period combined with a much longer orbital period and a large eccentricity of around 0.6.[23] Moore published preliminary orbital elements of the system in 1929, giving an orbital period of about 29.7 years with an eccentricity of 0.63. This period was confirmed by proper motion studies performed by B. P. Gerasimovič in 1939.[24]
As part of her doctoral thesis, in 1955 E. Roemer used radial velocity data to derive an orbital period of 30.46 y for the Polaris A system, with an eccentricity of 0.64.[25] K. W. Kamper in 1996 produced refined elements with a period of 29.59±0.02 years and an eccentricity of 0.608±0.005.[26] In 2019, a study by R. I. Anderson gave a period of 29.32±0.11 years with an eccentricity of 0.620±0.008.[10]
There were once thought to be two more widely separated components—Polaris C and Polaris D—but these have been shown not to be physically associated with the Polaris system.[18][27]
Observation
[edit]
Variability
[edit]
A light curve for Polaris, plotted from TESS data[28]
Polaris Aa, the supergiant primary component, is a low-amplitude population I classical Cepheid variable, although it was once thought to be a type II Cepheid due to its high galactic latitude. Cepheids constitute an important standard candle for determining distance, so Polaris, as the closest such star,[10] is heavily studied. The variability of Polaris had been suspected since 1852; this variation was confirmed by Ejnar Hertzsprung in 1911.[29]
The range of brightness of Polaris is given as 1.86–2.13,[4] but the amplitude has changed since discovery. Prior to 1963, the amplitude was over 0.1 magnitude and was very gradually decreasing. After 1966, it very rapidly decreased until it was less than 0.05 magnitude; since then, it has erratically varied near that range. It has been reported that the amplitude is now increasing again, a reversal not seen in any other Cepheid.[6]
The period, roughly 4 days, has also changed over time. It has steadily increased by around 4.5 seconds per year except for a hiatus in 1963–1965. This was originally thought to be due to secular redward evolution across the Cepheid instability strip, but it may be due to interference between the primary and the first-overtone pulsation modes.[20][30][31] Authors disagree on whether Polaris is a fundamental or first-overtone pulsator and on whether it is crossing the instability strip for the first time or not.[11][31][32]
The temperature of Polaris varies by only a small amount during its pulsations, but the amplitude of this variation is variable and unpredictable. The erratic changes of temperature and the amplitude of temperature changes during each cycle, from less than 50 K to at least 170 K, may be related to the orbit with Polaris Ab.[12]
A 4-day time lapse of Polaris illustrating its Cepheid type variability.
Research reported in Science suggests that Polaris is 2.5 times brighter today than when Ptolemy observed it, changing from third to second magnitude.[33] Astronomer Edward Guinan considers this to be a remarkable change and is on record as saying that "if they are real, these changes are 100 times larger than [those] predicted by current theories of stellar evolution".
Torres 2023 published a broad historical compilation of radial velocity and photometric data. He concludes that the change in the Cepheid period has reversed and is now decreasing since roughly 2010. Torres notes that TESS data is of limited utility: as a survey telescope, TESS is optimized for dimmer stars than Polaris, so Polaris significantly over-saturates TESS's cameras. Determining an accurate total brightness for Polaris from TESS is extremely difficult, although it remains suitable for timing the period.[34]
Furthermore, apparent irregularities in Polaris Aa's behavior may coincide with the periastron passage of Ab, although imprecision in the data prevents a definitive conclusion.[34] At the Gaia distance, the Aa-Ab closest approach is 6.2 AU; the radius of the primary supergiant is 46 R☉, meaning that the periastron separation is about 29 times its radius. This implies tidal forcing upon Aa's upper atmosphere by Ab. Such binary tidal forcing is known from heartbeat stars, where eccentric periastron approaches cause rich multimode pulsation akin to an electrocardiogram.
Szabados 1992 suggests that, among Cepheids, "phase slips" similar to what happened to Polaris in the mid 1960s are associated with binary systems.[35]
In 2024, researchers led by Nancy Evans at the Harvard & Smithsonian published a study with fresh data on the inner binary using the interferometric CHARA Array. They improved the solution of the orbit: combining CHARA data with previous Hubble data, and in tandem with the Gaia distance of 446±1 light-years, they confirmed the Cepheid radius estimate of 46 R☉ and re-determined its mass at 5.13±0.28M☉. The corresponding Polaris Ab mass is 1.316±0.028M☉. Polaris remains overluminous compared to the best Cepheid evolution models, something also seen in V1334 Cygni. Polaris's rapid period change and pulsation amplitude variations are still peculiar compared to other Cepheids, but may be related to the first-overtone pulsations.[9]
Evans et al also tentatively succeeded in imaging features on the surface of Polaris Aa: large bright and dark patches appear in close-up images, changing over time. Follow up imaging campaigns are required to confirm this detection.[9] Polaris's age is difficult to model; current best estimates find the Cepheid to be much younger than the two main sequence components, seemingly enough to exclude a common origin, which would be quite unlikely for a triple star system.[14][15]
Torres 2023 and Evans et al 2024 both suggest that recent literature cautiously agree that Polaris is a first overtone pulsator.[34][9]
Role as pole star
[edit]
Main article: Pole star
Polaris azimuths vis clock face analogy.[36]A typical Northern Hemisphere star trail with Polaris in the center.Polaris lying halfway between the asterisms Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper.
Because Polaris lies nearly in a direct line with the Earth's rotational axis above the North Pole, it stands almost motionless in the sky, and all the stars of the northern sky appear to rotate around it. It thus provides a nearly fixed point from which to draw measurements for celestial navigation and for astrometry. The elevation of the star above the horizon gives the approximate latitude of the observer.[16]
In 2018 Polaris was 0.66° (39.6 arcminutes) away from the pole of rotation (1.4 times the Moon disc) and so revolves around the pole in a small circle 1.3° in diameter. It will be closest to the pole (about 0.45 degree, or 27 arcminutes) soon after the year 2100.[37] Because it is so close to the celestial north pole, its right ascension is changing rapidly due to the precession of Earth's axis, going from 2.5h in AD 2000 to 6h in AD 2100. Twice in each sidereal day Polaris's azimuth is true north; the rest of the time it is displaced eastward or westward, and the bearing must be corrected using tables or a rule of thumb. The best approximation[36] is made using the leading edge of the "Big Dipper" asterism in the constellation Ursa Major. The leading edge (defined by the stars Dubhe and Merak) is referenced to a clock face, and the true azimuth of Polaris worked out for different latitudes.
The apparent motion of Polaris towards and, in the future, away from the celestial pole, is due to the precession of the equinoxes.[38] The celestial pole will move away from α UMi after the 21st century, passing close by Gamma Cephei by about the 41st century, moving towards Deneb by about the 91st century.[citation needed]
The celestial pole was close to Thuban around 2750 BCE,[38] and during classical antiquity it was slightly closer to Kochab (β UMi) than to Polaris, although still about 10° from either star.[39] It was about the same angular distance from β UMi as to α UMi by the end of late antiquity. The Greek navigator Pytheas in ca. 320 BC described the celestial pole as devoid of stars. However, as one of the brighter stars close to the celestial pole, Polaris was used for navigation at least from late antiquity, and described as ἀεί φανής (aei phanēs) "always visible" by Stobaeus (5th century), also termed Λύχνος (Lychnos) akin to a burner or lamp and would reasonably be described as stella polaris from about the High Middle Ages and onwards, both in Greek and Latin. On his first trans-Atlantic voyage in 1492, Christopher Columbus had to correct for the "circle described by the pole star about the pole".[40] In Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, written around 1599, Caesar describes himself as being "as constant as the northern star", although in Caesar's time there was no constant northern star. Despite its relative brightness, it is not, as is popularly believed, the brightest star in the sky.[41]
Polaris was referenced in the classic Nathaniel Bowditch maritime navigation book American Practical Navigator (1802), where it is listed as one of the navigational stars.[42]
Names
[edit]
This artist's concept shows: supergiant Polaris Aa, dwarf Polaris Ab, and the distant dwarf companion Polaris B.
The modern name Polaris[43] is shortened from the Neo-Latin stella polaris ("polar star"), coined in the Renaissance when the star had approached the celestial pole to within a few degrees.[44][45]
Gemma Frisius, writing in 1547, referred to it as stella illa quae polaris dicitur ("that star which is called 'polar'"), placing it 3° 8' from the celestial pole.[44][45]
In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[46] to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included Polaris for the star α Ursae Minoris Aa.[47]
In antiquity, Polaris was not yet the closest naked-eye star to the celestial pole, and the entire constellation of Ursa Minor was used for navigation rather than any single star. Polaris moved close enough to the pole to be the closest naked-eye star, even though still at a distance of several degrees, in the early medieval period, and numerous names referring to this characteristic as polar star have been in use since the medieval period. In Old English, it was known as scip-steorra ("ship-star").[citation needed]
In the "Old English rune poem", the T-rune is apparently associated with "a circumpolar constellation", or the planet Mars.[48]
In the Hindu Puranas, it became personified under the name Dhruva ("immovable, fixed").[49]
In the later medieval period, it became associated with the Marian title of Stella Maris "Star of the Sea" (so in Bartholomaeus Anglicus, c. 1270s),[50] due to an earlier transcription error.[51]
An older English name, attested since the 14th century, is lodestar "guiding star", cognate with the Old Norse leiðarstjarna, Middle High German leitsterne.[52]
The ancient name of the constellation Ursa Minor, Cynosura (from the Greek κυνόσουρα "the dog's tail"),[53] became associated with the pole star in particular by the early modern period. An explicit identification of Mary as stella maris with the polar star (Stella Polaris), as well as the use of Cynosura as a name of the star, is evident in the title Cynosura seu Mariana Stella Polaris (i.e. "Cynosure, or the Marian Polar Star"), a collection of Marian poetry published by Nicolaus Lucensis (Niccolo Barsotti de Lucca) in 1655. [citation needed]
Ursa Minor as depicted in the 964 Persian work Book of Fixed Stars, Polaris named al-Judayy "الجدي" in the lower right.
Its name in traditional pre-Islamic Arab astronomy was al-Judayy الجدي ("the kid", in the sense of a juvenile goat ["le Chevreau"] in Description des Etoiles fixes),[54] and that name was used in medieval Islamic astronomy as well.[55][56] In those times, it was not yet as close to the north celestial pole as it is now, and used to rotate around the pole.[citation needed]
It was invoked as a symbol of steadfastness in poetry, as "steadfast star" by Spenser. Shakespeare's sonnet 116 is an example of the symbolism of the north star as a guiding principle: "[Love] is the star to every wandering bark / Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken."[57]
In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare has Caesar explain his refusal to grant a pardon: "I am as constant as the northern star/Of whose true-fixed and resting quality/There is no fellow in the firmament./The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks,/They are all fire and every one doth shine,/But there's but one in all doth hold his place;/So in the world" (III, i, 65–71). Of course, Polaris will not "constantly" remain as the north star due to precession, but this is only noticeable over centuries.[citation needed]
In Inuit astronomy, Polaris is known as Nuutuittuq (syllabics: ᓅᑐᐃᑦᑐᖅ).[58]
In traditional Lakota star knowledge, Polaris is named "Wičháȟpi Owáŋžila". This translates to "The Star that Sits Still". This name comes from a Lakota story in which he married Tȟapȟúŋ Šá Wíŋ, "Red Cheeked Woman". However, she fell from the heavens, and in his grief Wičháȟpi Owáŋžila stared down from "waŋkátu" (the above land) forever.[59]
The Plains Cree call the star in Nehiyawewin: acâhkos êkâ kâ-âhcît "the star that does not move" (syllabics: ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ ᐁᑳ ᑳ ᐋᐦᒌᐟ).[60]
In Mi'kmawi'simk the star is named Tatapn.[61]
In the ancient Finnish worldview, the North Star has also been called taivaannapa and naulatähti ("the nailstar") because it seems to be attached to the firmament or even to act as a fastener for the sky when other stars orbit it. Since the starry sky seemed to rotate around it, the firmament is thought of as a wheel, with the star as the pivot on its axis. The names derived from it were sky pin and world pin.[citation needed]
Distance
[edit]
Since Leavitt's discovery of the Cepheid variable period-luminosity relationship, and corresponding utility as a standard candle, the distance to Polaris has been highly sought-after by astronomers. It is the closest Cepheid to Earth, and thus key to calibrating the Cepheid standard candle; Cepheids form the base of the cosmic distance ladder by which to probe the cosmological nature of the universe.[62]
Distance measurement techniques depend on whether or not components A and B are a physical pair, that is, gravitationally bound. If they are, then their estimated distance can be presumed to be equal.[b] Gravitational binding of this pair is well supported by observations, and the presumption of common distance is widely adopted in historical and recent estimates.[64][65][66][26][67][62][14][9]
For most of the 20th century, available observation technologies remained inadequate to precisely measure absolute parallax.[68][62] Instead, the main technique was to use theoretical models of stellar evolution for both main sequence and giant stars, combined with spectroscopic and photometric data to estimate distances. Such modeling relies on theoretical assumptions and guesses, and contains much systematic error and statistical uncertainties in population data. Even by 2013, these techniques were still struggling to achieve even 10% precision in either main sequence[69] or Cepheid[14] modeling.
Further progress was thus limited until the advent of Hipparcos, the first instrument able to engage in all-sky absolute parallax astrometry.[68] Its first data release was in 1997.
Selected distance estimates to Polaris
Published
Component
Distance
Source
Notes
ly
pc
1966
B
(359)[c]
(110)[c]
Fernie[64]
Photometry and modeling of B[c]
1977
B
(399)[d]
(122)[d]
Turner[65]
Photometry and modeling of B[d]
1978
A
356*
109*
Gauthier and Fernie[66]
Modeling extinction and Cepheid evolution of A
1996
B
359*
110*
Kamper[26]
Photometry and modeling of B, reproducing prior estimates
1997
A
431±29
132±9
Hipparcos[70]
All-sky/absolute[68] parallax observations, of the primary variable[e]
2004-2013
A, B
307±13
94±4
Turner/Turner et al
Cepheid evolution modeling[30], cluster kinematics and ZAMS fitting[30][67], photometry and modeling of B[67], spectral line ratios of A calibrated on yellow supergiants[62]
329±10
101±3
323±7
99±2
2007[f]
A
432±6
133±2
Hipparcos[2][69]
All-sky/absolute parallax observations, revised analysis, of the primary variable[f]
2008
B
357*
109.5*
Usenko & Klochkova[7]
Photometry and modeling of B
2014
A
>385
>118
Neilson[71]
Cepheid evolution modeling, independent of any distance prior
2018
B
521±20
160±6
Hubble, Bond et al.[14]
Relative[68] parallax of the wide component referencing photometrically-calibrated background stars
2018
B
445.3±1.7
136.6±0.5
Gaia DR2[72]
All-sky/absolute[68] parallax observations, of the wide component[g]
2020
B
446.5±1.1
136.9±0.3
Gaia DR3[5][9]
All-sky/absolute parallax observations, of the wide component[h]
^ * This estimate didn't state its uncertainty
After the arrival of the Hipparcos data, the distance to Polaris and consequent analysis of its Cepheid variation was controversial. The Hipparcos distance for Polaris was broadly but not universally adopted.[20] Immediately, the Hipparcos data for the nearest few hundred Cepheids appeared to clarify Cepheid models and to clear up then-tension in higher rungs of the distance ladder.[70] However alternatives remained; particularly by Turner et al, who published several papers between 2004 and 2013.[62]
Stellar parallax is the basis for the parsec, which is the distance from the Sun to an astronomical object which has a parallax angle of one arcsecond. (1 AU and 1 pc are not to scale, 1 pc = about 206265 AU)
In 2018, Bond et al[14] used the Hubble Space Telescope to provide an alternate direct measurement of Polaris's parallax; they summarize the back-and-forth:
However, Turner et al. (2013, hereafter TKUG13)[62] argue that the parallax of Polaris is considerably larger, 10.10 ± 0.20 mas (d = 99±2 pc). The evidence cited by TKUG13 for this “short” distance includes (1) a photometric parallax for Polaris B based on measured photometry, spectral classification, and main-sequence fitting; (2) a claim that there is a sparse cluster of A-, F-, and G-type stars within 3° of Polaris, with proper motions and radial velocities similar to that of the Cepheid, for which the Hipparcos parallaxes combined with main-sequence fitting give a distance of 99 pc; and (3) a determination of the absolute visual magnitude of Polaris based on line ratios in high-resolution spectra, calibrated against supergiants with well-established luminosities. [...]
[...]
In a critique of the TKUG13 paper, van Leeuwen (2013, hereafter L13)[69] defended the Hipparcos parallax by presenting details of the solution, concluding that “the Hipparcos data cannot in any way support” the large parallax advocated by TKUG13. Using Hipparcos data, L13 also questioned the reality of the sparse cluster proposed by TKUG13, presenting evidence against it both from the color versus absolute-magnitude diagram for stars within 3° of Polaris, and their non-clustered distribution of proper motions. Lastly, L13 examined the absolute magnitudes of nearly 400 stars of spectral type F3 V in the Hipparcos catalog with parallax errors of less than 10%, and showed that the absolute magnitude of Polaris B would fall well within the observed MV distribution for F3 V stars, based on either the Hipparcos parallax of A or the larger parallax proposed by TKUG13. Thus, he concluded that the photometric parallax of B does not give a useful discriminant.
— [14]
Bond et al go on to find a trigonometric parallax (independent of Hipparcos) that implies a distance further-still than the "long" Hipparcos distance, well outside the plausible range of the "short" distance estimates.
The next major step in high precision parallax measurements comes from Gaia, a space astrometry mission launched in 2013 and intended to measure stellar parallax to within 25 microarcseconds (μas).[74] Although it was originally planned to limit Gaia's observations to stars fainter than magnitude 5.7, tests carried out during the commissioning phase indicated that Gaia could autonomously identify stars as bright as magnitude 3. When Gaia entered regular scientific operations in July 2014, it was configured to routinely process stars in the magnitude range 3 – 20.[75] Beyond that limit, special procedures are used to download raw scanning data for the remaining 230 stars brighter than magnitude 3; methods to reduce and analyse these data are being developed; and it is expected that there will be "complete sky coverage at the bright end" with standard errors of "a few dozen μas".[76]
Gaia DR2 does not include a parallax for Polaris A, but a distance inferred from Polaris B is 136.6±0.5 pc (445.5±1.7 ly),[72] somewhat further than most previous estimates and (in principle) considerably more accurate. There are known to be considerable systematic uncertainties in DR2.[77]
Gaia DR3 significantly improved both the statistical and systematic uncertainties, although the latter remain numerous and on the order of 10–60 μas[63]; the new estimate is 136.9±0.3 pc (446.5±1.1 ly) using the baseline parallax zeropoint correction.[5][9][h]
Gaia DR4 (expected December 2026) will further improve the statistical and systematic uncertainties in general, and the data pipelines for variable and multiple stars in particular.[78] Multistar orbital solutions will become available, greatly aiding the study of Cepheids and Polaris, and in particular, may enable solving the outer AB orbit.[9]
In popular culture
[edit]
Polaris is depicted in the flag and coat of arms of the Canadian Inuit territory of Nunavut,[79] the flag of the U.S. states of Alaska and Minnesota,[80] and the flag of the U.S. city of Duluth, Minnesota.[81][82]
Vexillology
[edit]
Flag of Nunavut
Flag of Alaska
Flag of Minnesota
Flag of Duluth, Minnesota
Flag of Maine
Flag of Maine (1901–1909)
Flag of the Pan-American Exposition (1901)[83]
Sledge flag used by Francis Leopold McClintock in the Arctic (1852–1854)[84]
Heraldry
[edit]
Coat of arms of Nunavut
Seal of Minnesota
Seal of Maine
Coat of arms of Utsjoki[citation needed]
Ships
[edit]
The Chinese spy ship Beijixing is named after Polaris.
USS Polaris is named after Polaris
Gallery
[edit]
Polaris is the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor (upper right).
Big Dipper and Ursa Minor in relation to Polaris
A view of Polaris in a small telescope. Polaris B is separated by 18 arc seconds from the primary star, Polaris A.
Polaris, its surrounding integrated flux nebula, and NGC188[dubious – discuss]
See also
[edit]
Stars portal
Astronomy portal
Extraterrestrial sky (for the pole stars of other celestial bodies)
List of nearest supergiants
Polar alignment
Sigma Octantis
Polaris Flare
Regiment of the North Pole
Notes
[edit]
^If A and B are a physical pair, then they share the same parallax; see #Distance
^Their minimum spatial separation is the angular separation: 0.09 mrad (18.2 arcseconds), i.e. 0.009% of their distance from Earth; it could be higher (2x-5x) depending on the orbital eccentricity and orientation of the apsides to Earth's sightline. In any case, distance estimate uncertainties have far exceeded 0.2%, with only Gaia approaching the latter precision, when neglecting systematic uncertainties.[63] Future Gaia data may enable solving this outer orbit, constraining the apsides and thus precisely determining the distance between the components.
^ abcThe paper only estimates an absolute magnitude of roughly 3.3 with an apparent magnitude of 8.51. That implies a distance modulus of 5.21, implying a distance around 110 pc. A notional magnitude error of ±0.3 would correspond to roughly ±16 pc error.
^ abcThe paper only estimates an absolute magnitude of roughly 3.16. Taken with the quoted apparent magnitude 8.6, that implies a distance modulus of 5.44, implying a distance around 122 pc. A notional magnitude error of ±0.1 would correspond to roughly ±6 pc error. Extinction was concluded to be negligible.
^Parallax 7.56±0.48 mas
^ abParallax 7.54±0.11 mas; observations from 1989 to 1993, first analysis published 1997, revised analysis published 2007.
^Statistical distance calculated using a weak distance prior
^ abThe raw parallax is 7.2869±0.0178 mas; applying a basic systematic[63] correction[73] gives 7.3045±0.0178 mas
References
[edit]
^
"Polaris | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". Cambridge English Dictionary. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
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^Engle, Scott G; Guinan, Edward F; Harmanec, Petr (2018). "Toward Ending the Polaris Parallax Debate: A Precise Distance to Our Nearest Cepheid from Gaia DR2". Research Notes of the AAS. 2 (3): 126. Bibcode:2018RNAAS...2..126E. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/aad2d0. S2CID 126329676.
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^ abcTorres, Guillermo (2023). "The spectroscopic orbit of Polaris and its pulsation properties". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 526 (2): 2510. arXiv:2309.03257. Bibcode:2023MNRAS.526.2510T. doi:10.1093/mnras/stad2735.
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^ abRidpath, Ian, ed. (2004). Norton's Star Atlas. New York: Pearson Education. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-13-145164-3. Around 4800 years ago Thuban (
α Draconis) lay a mere 0°.1 from the pole. Deneb (α Cygni) will be the brightest star near the pole in about 8000 years' time, at a distance of 7°.5.
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^ abcKhan, S.; Anderson, R. I.; Miglio, A.; Mosser, B.; Elsworth, Y. P. (2023). "Investigating Gaia EDR3 parallax systematics using asteroseismology of cool giant stars observed by Kepler, K2, and TESS. II. Deciphering Gaia parallax systematics using red clump stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 680: A105. arXiv:2310.03654. Bibcode:2023A&A...680A.105K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202347919.
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^ abTurner, D. G. (1977). "A Note on the Reddening of Polaris B". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 89: 550. Bibcode:1977PASP...89..550T. doi:10.1086/130161.
^ abGauthier, R. P.; Fernie, J. D. (1978). "The reddening of Polaris". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 90: 739. Bibcode:1978PASP...90..739G. doi:10.1086/130422.
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About Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
One of the best Desert Safari organizers in Dubai, highly recommended. They do it in a very professional manner. They are always on time, the drivers are more than qualified to give you the full dune bashing experience with the sense of responsibility to the guests safety. The vehicles are in a high condition to give the guests the comfort needed during the journey from the pick up point and during every moment of the trip. The location of the camp is taking in consideration the weather condition. The food quality and quantity is high and the show is interesting. The bathroom condition is great, neat and clean and in a convenient spot within the camp. All this for a very reasonable and competitive price.
It was an amazing experience driving through the desert with a 4x4, having a great dinner in the camp with good entertainment. And our driver Mohammed was awesome: very friendly, always pointing out interesting things to see and thankfully very skilled when driving through the dunes.
Great camping spot.
On a hot day 41° it wasn't as bad as we expected.
We were picked up from a location far away which is very convenient.
We arrive at the location, and we transfer to offroad car, the driver wasn't fun at all that's why I gave 4 star, he wasn't speeding or doing aggressive maneuvers. I've been to other safari's and the sand was flying and hitting the windows.
We arrive at camp and they told us we have food, sheesha, sand boarding, camel ride, henna, and soft drinks for free.
But they will negotiate everything to pay extra.
Extra for camel ride for extra time.
Extra for food to stay VIP on top of the camping, extra for sheesha to take it to ur table, extra to give you pic with camel, extra to sell you arabian dress, extra for bigger henna.
The experience was very nice. We enjoyed the sunset, didn't get the chance to snowboard or try sheesha.
The food was acceptable.
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy Rental & ATV Quad Bike Tours - Marasi Drive - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Lake Central Tower 4th Floor - Office 404 مراسي درايف - الخليج التجاري - دبي - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai duration depends on the package selected. Morning Desert Safari lasts approximately 4 hours from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Evening Desert Safari runs for about 6 hours from 3:00 PM to 9:30 PM, including all activities, dinner, and entertainment.
Can I cancel my Desert Safari Dubai booking?
Yes, Dune Buggy Rentals Dubai offers free cancellation for Desert Safari Dubai bookings up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. Full refunds are provided for weather-related cancellations. Contact our customer support team via phone or WhatsApp to modify or cancel your reservation.
What is the best time for Desert Safari Dubai?
The best time for Desert Safari Dubai is during the cooler months from October to March. For daily tours, morning safaris offer pleasant temperatures and beautiful sunrise views, while evening safaris provide stunning sunsets and cooler weather for outdoor dining and entertainment.