<P> The precession of the equinoxes takes about 25,770 years to complete a cycle . Polaris' mean position (taking account of precession and proper motion) will reach a maximum declination of + 89 ° 32'23 ", which translates to 1657" (or 0.4603 °) from the celestial north pole, in February 2102 . Its maximum apparent declination (taking account of nutation and aberration) will be + 89 ° 32'50.62 ", which is 1629" (or 0.4526 °) from the celestial north pole, on 24 March 2100 . </P> <P> Precession will next point the north celestial pole at stars in the northern constellation Cepheus . The pole will drift to space equidistant between Polaris and Gamma Cephei ("Errai") by 3000 AD, with Errai reaching its closest alignment with the northern celestial pole around 4200 AD . Iota Cephei and Beta Cephei will stand on either side of the northern celestial pole some time around 5200 AD, before moving to closer alignment with the brighter star Alpha Cephei ("Alderamin") around 7500 AD . </P> <P> Precession will then point the north celestial pole at stars in the northern constellation Cygnus . Bright first - magnitude Deneb will be within 7 ° of the North Pole in 10,000 AD, and third - magnitude Delta Cygni will be a pole star around 11,500 AD . Precession will then point the north celestial pole nearer the constellation Lyra, where the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, Vega, will be a pole star around 13,700 AD . </P> <P> Precession will eventually point the north celestial pole nearer the stars in the constellation Hercules, pointing towards Tau Herculis around 18,400 AD . The celestial pole will then return to the stars in constellation Draco (Thuban, mentioned above) before returning to the current constellation, Ursa Minor . When Polaris becomes the North Star again around 27,800 AD, due to its proper motion it then will be farther away from the pole than it is now, while in 23,600 BC it was closer to the pole . </P>

What are the four stars that have been or will be the north star