... Polaris: The North Star . ... First, Polaris is the nearest bright star to the north spin axis of the Earth. ... Based on recent results, this artist's vision of the double star Phi Persei, 720 light years away, shows a bright, rapidly rotating massive star surrounded by a disk of gas. ... New Stars In 30 Doradus . ... Gas and dust clouds in 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula, have been sculpted into elongated shapes by powerful winds and ultraviolet radiation from these hot cluster...