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Polaris
Polaris is Earth's current northern pole star, and thus is commonly referred to as the North Star. Historically, Polaris was used by sailors and navigators to determine their current latitude while crossing oceans. Please place all questions about Polaris, the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, into this category.
543 Questions
What is the declination of polaris from Glasgow?
The "declination" of a star is its position in the sky on the celestial sphere, which stays the same for any observer.
You may be thinking about how high Polaris is above the horizon.
That's its "altitude".
The altitude of Polaris always equals the latitude of the observer.
That's been a great help to seafarers for centuries.
Polaris has a declination of nearly 90 degrees.
From Glasgow, its altitude in the northern sky is equal to the latitude of Glasgow.
The latitude of Glasgow is about 55.9 degrees.
So, the altitude of Polaris in Glasgow is about 55.9 degrees.
How far away from Earth is Sirious the star?
8.6 light years
8.6 light years
8.6 light years
8.6 light years
What makes the north star polaris special?
It appears stationary in the night sky, due to the fact that it lined up almost directly over the North Pole. Because of this it can be used to find true north, which is a very useful thing when sailing at night and all other points of reference are gone, such as landmarks or the sun.
What would be the altitude of Polaris the North star for an observer located at 64oN latitude?
The altitude of polaris for an observer is always the same as your latitude so it would be 64oN
How big is earth compared with polaris?
Polaris has a radius which is around 5000 as big and so it occupies a volume which is approximately 125 billion times as large.
Stars which appear to revolve around Polaris and do not set go below the horizon are called?
All stars appear to travel in circles around the celestial pole. The ones that are
so close to the pole that they never set below the horizon are described as
"circumpolar" stars. The size of that region of the sky as seen from your location
depends on your latitude. At the north or south pole, the entire sky is included.
At the equator, none of it is.
The constellation that contains the pointer stars used to locate Polaris the North Star is?
Cassiopeia
"Polaris world is a 1 stop furniture shop for your home. You can purchase ""furniture bundles"" to completely furnish your home."
What effect does precession have on Polaris?
"Earth's axis meets the sky at the North Celestial Pole (NCP), and as the axis precesses, the NCP changes. Right now, the NCP is less than 1 degree from the North Star, Polaris, and a century from now the NCP will be slightly closer to polaris. Then the NCP will move on. Five centuries ago, when Columbus sailed the ocean blue, Polaris was 3.5 degrees from the NCP, and sailors had to make allowances for this offset when navigating. At the time of the birth of Christ, Polaris was 12 degrees from the NCP and not a useful pole star at all. Almost thirty centuries earlier, Thuban - a faint star in Draco - was the pole star. Through the millennia, Earth has had several pole stars - but most of the time there has been no bright star near the NCP. Our present pole star is the best Earth will ever have. No other star is ever as bright and as close to the celestial pole as ours will be for the next two hundred years. It's one of those little things we just take for granted." Excerpt from the Starry Night Companion: Your Guide to Understanding the Night Sky, by John Mosley.
At the Equator.
Does the altitude of polaris change?
Yes. Two thousand years ago, the current Polaris was not the North Star. By the end of the 21st Century it will not be above the North Pole.
If you stand at the Earth's South Pole could you see Polaris?
Theoretically, if you were anywhere along the earth's equator you would see both celestial poles right on the horizons due north and due south. Whether, if you actually tried this, you would be able to see them is of course questionable, but in theory you should be able to.
I am not exactly sure considering I asked the question. Sorry I could not help. Check later maybe someone will put a good answer later. From the Shadow of Light I suppose celestial could be used in the sense of "celestial being" one who would do no harm, and also considered "divine / without impurities". I hope this helps but its just off the top of my head :)
Is pole star located in Ursa major?
No. Ursa Major is often used as a way to find it, as part of it points towards it, but it is not actually in Ursa Major. It is in fact in Ursa Minor.
Why do the stars appear to rotate around Polaris?
It's an illusion caused by the actual rotation of the earth.
Can people who live south of the Equator see the North Star?
No, due to the shape of the earth you can not see the North Star below the equator.
The angle of the star Polaris above the northern horizon can be used to determine an observer's?
... lattitude.
... lattitude.
... lattitude.
... lattitude.
Is it true that Polaris does not seem to move as Earth rotates?
Yes, Polaris always seems to "hover" over the North Pole.
The light from Polaris travels through space in the form of?
Light travels as light energy. Light is a type of electromagnetic wave.
