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The '''precession of the equinoxes''' describes an astronomical phenomenon whereby the earth appears to wobble on its axis relative to the stars. This wobble is very slow, taking about 26,000 years to complete.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1134/is_10_115/ai_n16883025 "Turn, turn, turn: in addition to its daily spin and its annual trip around the Sun, the Earth wobbles—affecting the seasons, the "north star," and human history," ''Natural History'', 2006]</ref> The result of this is that the position of stars and [[constellation]]s overhead at any particular time gradually changes over the years.  For example, the constellation that rises above the horizon at the spring [[equinox]] gradually cycles through the signs of the [[zodiac]] backwards. The star around which all the other stars seem to revolve (to an observer on Earth) also changes over time, meaning that Polaris, or the present North Star, has not always been the star closest to north, and will be replaced by other stars in the future. The Earth's axis pointed to the star Thuban in the year 3000 B.C., and it will point to the bright star Vega in the year A.D. 14,000. <ref>[http://www.essortment.com/all/northstarastro_rmdz.htm "What is the north star?" ''Essortment.com'']</ref>
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The '''precession of the equinoxes''' describes an astronomical phenomenon whereby the earth appears to wobble on its axis relative to the stars. This wobble is very slow. <ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1134/is_10_115/ai_n16883025 "Turn, turn, turn: in addition to its daily spin and its annual trip around the Sun, the Earth wobbles—affecting the seasons, the "north star," and human history," ''Natural History'', 2006]</ref> The result of this is that the position of stars and [[constellation]]s overhead at any particular time gradually changes over the years.  For example, the constellation that rises above the horizon at the spring [[equinox]] gradually cycles through the signs of the [[zodiac]] backwards. The star around which all the other stars seem to revolve (to an observer on Earth) also changes over time, meaning that Polaris, or the present North Star, has not always been the star closest to north, and will be replaced by other stars in the future. The Earth's axis pointed to the star Thuban in the year 3000 B.C. <ref>[http://www.essortment.com/all/northstarastro_rmdz.htm "What is the north star?" ''Essortment.com'']</ref>
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|Alpha [[Ursa Minor]]is
 
|Alpha [[Ursa Minor]]is
 
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|-
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|4000 AD
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|[[Alrai]]
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|Gamma [[Cepheus|Cephei]]
  −
|-
  −
|7500 AD
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|[[Alderamin]]
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|Alpha [[Cepheus|Cephei]]
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|-
  −
|10,000 AD<ref name="uk">http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/moonkmft/Articles/Precession.html</ref>
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|[[Deneb]]
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|Alpha [[Cygnus|Cygni]]
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|-
  −
|14000 AD
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|[[Vega]]
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|Alpha [[Lyra]]e
   
|}
 
|}
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==List of selected South Stars<ref name="uk" />==
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==List of selected South Stars
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
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|Sigma [[Octent|Octans]]
 
|Sigma [[Octent|Octans]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
|4200 AD
  −
|n/a
  −
|Gamma [[Chameleon]]
  −
|-
  −
|5800 AD
  −
|n/a
  −
|Omega [[Keel|Carinae]]
  −
|-
  −
|8100 AD
  −
|Aspidiske
  −
|Iota [[Keel|Carinae]]
  −
|-
  −
|9200 AD
  −
|n/a
  −
|Delta [[Sails|Velae]]
  −
|-
  −
|14000 AD
  −
|Canopus
  −
|Alpha [[Keel|Carinae]]
  −
|-
  −
|22000 AD
  −
|Achernar
  −
|Alpha [[Eridanus|Eridani]]
   
|}
 
|}
  
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