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New North Star

By Michael Alan Prestwood

Author and Natural Philosopher

Wed 27 Mar 2024
Published 2 years ago.
Updated 2 years ago.
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New North Star

13,000 Years From Now
Verified. Empirically supported and rationally deduced.
520 Generations From Now

Right now Polaris is our North Star. In 13,000 years it will be Vega. The Earth spins as it revolves around the Sun, but the North Pole is always pointing toward the North Star, Polaris. The Earth spins and only wobbles a tiny bit over millennia as it revolves around the Sun, and our Sun revolves around a pretty flat Milky Way galaxy. Our solar system, like a thrown frisbee, stays pretty flat in space. The wobble described above is called the axial precession in scientific terms. That’s the North Pole moving in a small circle when compared to the sky. This axial tilt causes the celestial poles to align closely with specific stars, for now, Polaris in the Northern Hemisphere. The Earth’s wobble, or axial precession, is slow, about 26,000 years per wobble cycle. At about 13,000 years through the cycle, the Northern Star will be Vega, not Polaris.

Michael Alan Prestwood
Author & Natural Philosopher

Prestwood writes on science-first philosophy, with particular attention to the convergence of disciplines. Drawing on his TST Framework, his work emphasizes rational inquiry grounded in empirical observation while engaging questions at the edges of established knowledge. With TouchstoneTruth positioned as a living touchstone, this work aims to contribute reliable analysis in an emerging AI era where the credibility of information is increasingly contested.

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WWB Menu
7 Jan 2026
Essay of the Week
The Architecture of Change: Finding Stability in Flux
Story of the Week
Heraclitus
Quote of the Week
“Everything is in flux.”
Weekly Crossroads!
1. Science »
Will the night sky have stars nearly forever?
2. Philosophy »
What does existence before essence mean?
3. Critical Thinking »
Is cause and effect certain?
4. History!
Who were the Presocratic Philosophers?
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