The angle of Polaris, also known as the North Star, above the horizon in Fairbanks, Alaska, is approximately equal to the latitude of the location. Fairbanks is situated at a latitude of about 64.8° N, so Polaris would be about 64.8° above the northern horizon. This angle can vary slightly depending on your exact position within Fairbanks, but it will generally be close to this value.
Fairbanks is located at latitude 64.8 degrees north, so the north celestial pole is always 64.8 degrees above the horizon. Polaris itself is presently about 0.7 degrees from the celestial pole, so its altitude above the horizon will vary between 64.1 and 65.5 degrees during the course of a sidereal day.
Fairbanks, Alaska is 446 feet (136 meters) above sea level
Polaris will be 23.5 degrees above the northern horizon when viewed from the Tropic of Cancer.
To determine the altitude of Polaris, you can measure the angle between the horizon and Polaris using a simple instrument like a protractor or sextant. The altitude of Polaris above the horizon corresponds closely to your latitude in the Northern Hemisphere; for example, if you measure Polaris at an angle of 40 degrees above the horizon, you are approximately at 40° latitude. This relationship occurs because Polaris is positioned nearly directly above the North Pole.
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.
90 degrees
Your latitude!
At the Tropic of Capricorn (approximately 23.5 degrees south latitude), Polaris, the North Star, is not visible and is located below the horizon. Polaris can only be seen in the Northern Hemisphere and its altitude above the horizon increases the further north you go.
Polaris, or the North Star, is located nearly directly above the North Pole, so it is not visible from Cape Town, which is situated in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result, Polaris is below the horizon in Cape Town and cannot be observed from that location.
If someone is at the horizon, they would see Polaris, also known as the North Star, located at a specific angle above the horizon depending on their latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere, Polaris is positioned nearly directly above the North Pole, so it appears higher in the sky the further north one travels. At the equator, Polaris would be right at the horizon, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it would not be visible at all.
At 40 degrees latitude, Polaris, also known as the North Star, will appear approximately 40 degrees above the northern horizon. This is because the angle of Polaris above the horizon corresponds closely to the observer's latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, if you are at 40 degrees north latitude, Polaris will be positioned directly overhead at the North Pole and will gradually lower to the horizon as you move south, reaching 0 degrees at the equator.
The altitude of Polaris, or its angle above the horizon, is approximately equal to the observer's latitude. Nashville, TN, is located at a latitude of about 36.16° N. Therefore, when viewed from Nashville, Polaris would have an altitude of roughly 36 degrees above the northern horizon.