In the Northern Hemisphere, Polaris is well-known as the 'north star', a good way of finding north if you're lost without a compass, smartphone or other reference marker.
But what about the southern star? Does such a thing exist?
Sigma (σ) Octantis is generally considered to be the south pole star, also known as the southern polestar, and is a yellow sub-giant star 270 lightyears from Earth.
It's located in the constellation Octans and is the closest bright star to the south celestial pole.
For more southern stargazing, read our guides to the best things to see in the Southern Hemisphere sky and what's in the Southern Hemisphere sky tonight
It is very much alive and thriving, having just left the main stage of its life and is about to expand into a red giant.
However, those in the Southern Hemisphere don't enjoy a south star quite as distinct as the north star in the Northern Hemisphere.
Although Sigma Octantis is the nearest naked-eye star to the south celestial pole (just 1º away), it shines at a feeble magnitude of +5.47 and is only barely visible with the unaided eye under clear, dark conditions.
So, unlike the northern hemisphere’s pole star Polaris, which has a magnitude of +1.97, Sigma Octantis is too faint to easily locate the south celestial pole.
Instead, it’s easier to find south using stars Alpha (α) and Gamma (γ) Crucis. These are located in the constellation Crux, also known as the Southern Cross.
Draw a line through the stars Gamma (γ) and Alpha (α) Crucis and extend it for 27º
In beginner's terms, find south in the Southern Hemisphere by drawing a line from the top of the Southern Cross to the bottom, then follow the direction in which that line is pointing.
