Why do the stars appear to rotate around Polaris?

Question

Why do the stars appear to rotate around Polaris?

Answer 1

Because our planet rotates on the North South axis, and Polaris is the North star, more accurate then magnetic north even. So as the planet rotates it just happens to be rotating with Polaris right above the rotational axis.

Answer 2

Because Polaris is located directly above the North Pole (89.2 degrees North Latitude). The Earth's axis passes through the geographic North Pole and points almost straight to Polaris. As the Earth rotates, Polaris stands still, while all the other objects in the sky move.

Answer 3

Because the rotational axis of the Earth points very close to Polaris.

Answer 4

What seems as aparent motion is really called Relative motion.
The constaelations observed on the Northern sky of the Globe do moves but because of the great Universal distances from our perspective appear as standing still.

Ursa majoris (the Big dipper) constains a star called Polaris.
The name stems from the Zenith observation that it practically line up with Polarisand for that reason its called the North Star because it line up with the North pole of the Earth.

Now the Earth spin on the axis of the poles. The stars appear fixed but the earth is moving but on earth due to the principle of relativity we dont see ourselves moving.On the basis of this relative motion we are actually able to tell what time it is on earth.
Therefore we see the stars moving in relative motion.

The stars in the Big Dipper then appear to rotate relative to the Earth but polaris appears fixed. The reason is the relative motion of the Poles to Poraris is neglible.

Answer 5

Interesting note: Polaris isn't always the "north star", due to "precession of the equinoxes". In fact, it's only approximately so right now. A few thousand years ago, it would have been Thuban, and at other times it will be Iota, Vega, etc.