“Pointing to Polaris” by *tfavretto on DeviantArt.
Due to the precession of the equinoxes the direction of the Earth’s axis is very slowly but continuously changing, and as the projection of the Earth’s axis moves around the celestial sphere over the millennia, the role of North Star passes from one star to another. Since the precession of the equinoxes is so slow, taking about 26,000 years to complete a cycle, a single star typically holds that title for many centuries. (Wiki)
Other past and future Pole Stars:
The Pole Star once was Thuban (3000 B.C.), the third star from the end of the tail in Draco. In a little more than 5,000 years from now, Alderamin, the brightest star in the constellation Cepheus, will be the Pole Star. About 7,000 years from now, Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, will be the Pole Star for a while. In about 12,000 years from now, Vega, the brightest star in Lyra, will be the Pole Star. Vega will be a brilliant Pole Star some six times brighter than Polaris. There are long periods when there is no Pole Star at all. At the present time there is no Pole Star in the southern sky. (source)
