What is "north preceding"

North \North\, a. Lying toward the north; situated at the north, or in a northern direction from the point of observation or reckoning; proceeding toward the north, or coming from the north.

North following. See Following, a., 2.

North pole, that point in the heavens, or on the earth, ninety degrees from the equator toward the north.

North preceding. See Following, a., 2.

North star, the star toward which the north pole of the earth very nearly points, and which accordingly seems fixed and immovable in the sky. The star [alpha] (alpha) of the Little Bear, is our present north star, being distant from the pole about 1[deg] 25', and from year to year approaching slowly nearer to it. It is called also Cynosura, polestar, and by astronomers, Polaris.