Polaris and Latitude
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Polaris = The North Star
* Never changes place in the sky
* When you face it, you are facing north,
* Directly above the North Pole
Copy the diagram and label the big dipper & Polaris, you don’t have to copy what is in
italics. To find the North Star, first find the Big Dipper. Draw a straight line through the
two pointer stars that make up the end of the dipper's bowl and continue this line away
from the opening of the bowl until it intersects with Polaris.
Polaris and Latitude
Altitude of Polaris = the angle of Polaris above the horizon
Latitude = the angular distance north or south of the equator
The altitude of Polaris is = to your latitude!
Latitude at North Pole (90oN), altitude of Polaris is 90o
Latitude at equator (0o), altitude of Polaris is 0o
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Polaris and Latitude
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Alt = altitude of Polaris
GL = geographical latitude
a = altitude of Polaris
x = latitude
Alt = Latitude
a=x
Polaris and Latitude
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From ancient times sailors have known that the altitude of
Polaris is the same as one's latitude on Earth.
Our latitude in Hamburg is 43o N, and Polaris is 43o above the
northern horizon.
Look at the North Star and point one arm straight at it, and then hold your other arm level with the
horizon. The angle between your arms is roughly the degrees of latitude.