whatever latitude you are at, that is the angle to polaris.. and the other way around
The angle of Polaris above the northern horizon is very nearly equal to your north latitude, within about 1/3 of a degree. So it's over your head when you stand at the north pole, it sits nominally on your north horizon when you stand anywhere on the equator, and if you're south of the equator, you can never see it at all.
The angle between the Pole Star and the horizon is equal to your latitude.
The latitude would also be approximately 40 degrees in this case.
I believe it dates back to when the North Star was used to find latitude by ancient sailors. Degrees latitude was found by the angle between the North Star and the horizon. Since the North Star sits on the horizon at the equator the angle is zero therefore latitude is zero degrees.
The answer depends on which angle is 39 degrees.
The angle between the north star and the horizon is roughly your position in degrees latitude.For example, 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 of your location.
The angle between the north star and your northern horizon is approximately the same as your latitude north of the equator.
Latitude measure North to South. This is a much more appropriate answer. Latitude measures the angle between your horizon and a polar star. Which in turn provides a measurement in degrees north or south of the Equator.
angle it makes with respect to horizon is equal to observers latitude. i.e. Philadelphia latitude 40 degrees so Polaris 40 degrees above horizon
Polaris (the "North Star") doesn't have a latitude. But that's OK, because latitude is not what you're looking for. You're really trying to ask for its "elevation" ... the angle between the horizon and Polaris in the sky. That angle is equal to the observer's north latitude, so it would be easy to answer if we knew what location you're actually interested in. Here are a few possibilities: -- Massena NY . . . . . 44.9° above the northern horizon -- Rochester NY . . . . 43.2° above the northern horizon -- Buffalo NY . . . . . . 42.9° above the northern horizon -- 85th St Transverse in Central Park, Manhattan . . . 40.8° above the northern horizon
At 45 degrees north latitude, the north celestial pole appears 45 degrees above the northern horizon. At 45 degrees south latitude, the south celestial pole appears 45 degrees above the southern horizon.
The North star will be 75 degrees above the horizon. Whatever degree you are at latitude, the North star will be the same degrees up. So at the north pole (90 degrees north), the star will be at the zenith (straight up). While at the equator (0 degrees north) the star will be at the horizon.