1. Why Does the North Star interest us?
Polaris: The Current North Star

2. Why Do We Care about the North Star?
The North Star has been used as an aid to chart navigational maps.
It has also been used to measure astronomical latitude.
The North Star can only be viewed in the northern hemisphere. Hence, in the northern hemisphere, the angle to Polaris equals your latitude.

3. Parallel Rays from Polaris
Equator
Parallel Rays from Polaris

4. Parallel Rays from Polaris
Equator

5. Parallel Rays from Polaris
Equator
Parallel Rays from Polaris

6. Parallel Rays from Polaris
Equator
Parallel Rays from Polaris

7. Parallel Rays from Polaris
Equator

8. Parallel Rays from Polaris
Equator
Parallel Rays from Polaris

9. AP = Altitude of Polaris
To Polaris
AP = Altitude of Polaris
Equator AP LO X LO
LO = Latitude of the Observer
Zenith of the Observer
AP =LO
Observer’s Horizon
The Altitude of Polaris = the Latitude of the Observer

15. Polaris: The Current North Star
Today the Earth’s axis points within one degree of Polaris.
Polaris appears to be in a fixed position in the sky throughout the year.
To find Polaris in the sky, locate the Big Dipper and follow the two stars at the end of the basin upward. This should lead you directly to Polaris. It is the last star in the tail of the Little Dipper.