Polaris is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, Latin for “lesser bear.”

" Even at a staggering 433 light-years, Polaris shines bright in our sky at magnitude 1.97. Actually, the north star is 2,500 times brighter than our own star, the Sun! If Polaris were our solar system’s star, the radiation and brightness would be so intense that most complex life could not exist. "

http://astronimate.com/list/polaris-star-facts/