there both scrubs
whatever latitude you are at, that is the angle to polaris.. and the other way around
In the Northern Hemisphere, the angle of Polaris above the horizon corresponds directly to the latitude of the location. Specifically, at the North Pole (90°N), Polaris is directly overhead at an angle of 90 degrees, while at the equator (0° latitude), Polaris is on the horizon at 0 degrees. Thus, as one moves northward, the angle of Polaris increases, reflecting the increase in latitude.
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.
Polaris (or the North Star) is almost directly above the North pole. This means that when you stand on the north pole and look directly up, you will see Polaris. This also means that when you stand at the equator and look directly north, you will see Polaris on the horizon. You can not see Polaris from the Southern Hemisphere. The angle Polaris is above the horizon is equal to the degree latitude that you are standing on. Therefore at the equator, Polaris is 0 degrees above the horizon and at the north pole, Polaris is 90 degrees above the horizon.
The latitude would also be approximately 40 degrees in this case.
The angle between the Pole Star and the horizon is equal to your latitude.
If Polaris appears 60° above the northern horizon, then you are pretty near 60° north latitude. If you're on the equator ... 0° north latitude ... then Polaris is on the horizon ... 0° altitude. If you're at the north pole ... 90° north latitude ... then Polaris is over your head ... 90° altitude. The altitude above the northern horizon at which Polaris appears is nearly identical to your north latitude. ================================================= The difference (error) between Polaris and the real North Celestial Pole is about 0.7 degree. Not good enough for precise navigation or surveying, but just fine for directions when you're hiking.
cripsy
You must observe to explain.
The altitude of Polaris, or its angle above the horizon, can be approximated by the observer's latitude. Virginia is situated between approximately 36 and 39 degrees north latitude, so Polaris would be about 36 to 39 degrees above the northern horizon when viewed from the state. This means that the further north you are in Virginia, the higher Polaris will appear in the sky.