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What can an observer determine if they know the altitude of Polaris?
Also the altitude of any star will change with the observer’s latitude (as well as the time of night). In particular, the altitude of Polaris (NCP) = latitude of observer. So, knowing the altitude of Polaris lets you know your latitude on Earth.
How can an observer find their latitude with Polaris?
If you stood at the North Pole and looked up, it would be directly above your head. Because of this we can find our latitude in the Northern Hemisphere by measuring the angle of Polaris in the sky. Polaris is doubly useful as it appears fixed in the sky and other stars seem to rotate around it. It always points north.
What is the altitude of the observer?
The horizonal coordinate system depends on the location of the observer and the time of the observation. The altitude measures the angle of the object above or below the observer’s horizon.
What is the altitude of Polaris from an observer standing in New York State?
On April 21, the altitude of Polaris, as viewed from a location in New York State, was measured as 41.3°.
What is the altitude of Polaris at New Orleans?
New Orleans = 30o N. Polaris is at 90o Angle.
What is the location of an observer if he measured the altitude of Polaris to be 41 degrees above the horizon?
41 degrees. Why doesn’t the North Star appear to move? It is located almost directly above the North Pole.
How do you use the altitude of Polaris to find latitude?
Use the Altitude of Polaris to Find Latitude. Polaris is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, whose seven brightest stars form the Little Dipper. Polaris is the brightest star at the end of the tail of the Little Dipper and is useful because it is the only starthat does not appearto move in relation to a specific location on Earth.
What is the altitude of the observer from the North Pole?
In particular, the altitudeof Polaris(NCP) = latitudeof observer. Remember that the altitudeof Polarisis 0 degrees if you are observing from the equator(0 degrees latitude) and 90 degrees if you are observing from the north pole(latitude90 degrees), and it is also true for intermediate latitudes. What is the observer’s latitude?
How far away is Polaris from the Earth?
Polaris is so far away (about 434 lightyears)that the rays of light approach the Earth in a parallel manner. This allows us to look at the angle between us and the star (which is the same as the angle between the horizon and the star) to locate our latitude on the Earth. Polaris is about 0.7° from the exact North Pole,…
How do you find latitude with the altitude of a star?
Use the Altitude of Polaris to Find Latitude. The altitude of a star is the measurement in degrees of the angle of the star above the horizon. Flat out on the horizon is 0° and straight up in the sky is at 90°, which has a special name, the zenith.