The nautical star is a symbolic star representing the North Star, associated with the sea services of the United States armed forces and with tattoo culture. It is usually rendered as a five-pointed star in dark and light shades counterchanged in a style similar to a compass rose. In Unicode, this symbol is in the dingbats block as, referencing a pinwheel toy.

Nautical charts

Modern nautical charts use the star to indicate true north on the outer of the two compass circles of a compass rose, symbolizing the North Star. The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey started using this symbol in its double-circle compass roses around 1900.

Use as a symbol

Sea services

The nautical star is an informal signifier indicating membership in the United States Coast Guard, United States Navy, or United States Marine Corps. The symbol recalls both the five-pointed star of the US national flag and the color pattern of the compass rose found on many nautical charts. Insignia including nautical stars:

Ships

The Endurance, in which Ernest Shackleton and crew sailed on the 1914–1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, was originally named after the pole star and retained a large badge in the shape of a five-pointed star on her stern.

Other

The nautical star is common in insignia, flags, and logos. Examples: The California flag includes a red five-pointed star, which is sometimes stylized like a nautical star:

Tattoo culture

This symbol is part of the tradition of sailor tattoos. A nautical star represented the North Star, with the idea that this symbol would help a sailor navigate or stay on course, including finding their way back to port or back home. A nautical star tattoo can also indicate that a person has crossed the North Sea. Since the 1990s, nautical star tattoos have become popular in the United States in general. A nautical star may symbolize protection, guidance, and good luck, or metaphorically represent finding one's way home when lost in life or travel. In the 1950s, some lesbians in Buffalo, New York wore a blue five-pointed star tattoo on the wrist, a location that could be covered by a watch. People getting tattoos to reflect this history may choose a nautical-style star.