A figure skater on the ice is the cynosure, or focal point, of a stadium as she triple-axles through the air. All eyes are on her with admiration, though you can't be so sure she'll land it.
Cynosure, pronounced sy-na-shoor, comes from the Latin word for Ursa Minor and referred originally to the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as the North Star. While other stars travel throughout the night sky, the North Star is a fixed point, and has been used by sailors to orient them for centuries. Like a bride who attracts the attention and admiration of everyone at a wedding as she comes down the aisle, the North Star is the cynosure for travelers lost in the forest without a map. All eyes are on it.
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something that provides guidance (as Polaris guides mariners)
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something that strongly attracts attention and admiration
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