As an observer travels due east or due west, what happens to the angle of polaris?
Well, as the observer travels due east or due west, trying to keep an eye on Polaris, they might find themselves in a bit of a pickle. You see, Polaris, also known as the North Star, is aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation, so it appears to stay fixed in the northern sky while everything else seems to swirl around it. However, as the observer moves east or west, the angle of Polaris will gradually change.
When moving due east or due west, the angle of Polaris would gradually decrease. It's like Polaris is trying to play peek-a-boo with the observer but is slowly getting tired and going lower on the horizon. So, my dear traveler, you might find yourself having to crane your neck a bit to catch a glimpse of the elusive Polaris as you go on your merry way. Happy stargazing!
As an observer travels due east or due west, the angle of Polaris (the North Star) above the horizon will change.
When you are at the North Pole, Polaris appears directly overhead, at an angle of 90 degrees above the horizon. As you move southward from the North Pole, Polaris appears lower in the sky. The angle of Polaris above the horizon will decrease until it eventually disappears below the horizon when you reach the equator.
When you are at the equator, Polaris appears on the horizon, at an angle of 0 degrees. This means that as you travel from the North Pole to the equator, the angle of Polaris will decrease gradually.
When you travel due east or due west from any location, the angle of Polaris will remain relatively constant. It will not change significantly because the rotation of the Earth remains the same regardless of your east-west position. The change in the angle of Polaris is predominantly caused by moving north or south on the Earth's surface, rather than moving east or west.
So, in summary, as an observer travels due east or due west, the angle of Polaris will not change significantly.
As an observer travels due east or due west, the angle of Polaris, also known as the North Star, changes. To understand why this happens, let's first establish why Polaris is used as a reference point for determining direction in the night sky.
Polaris is located nearly directly above the Earth's North Pole, which means its position appears relatively fixed while the Earth rotates. Due to this alignment, it serves as a valuable reference for navigation and determining true north. The angle between the horizon and Polaris is known as the "altitude" or "elevation" of Polaris.
Now, as an observer moves horizontally along the Earth's surface towards the east or west, their position in relation to the North Pole changes. Remember that the Earth rotates from west to east. When you travel eastward, you move with the rotation of the Earth, so your position relative to Polaris appears to shift to the left (or counterclockwise) in the night sky. This means that the angle of elevation of Polaris decreases.
On the other hand, if you travel westward, you move against the rotation of the Earth, so your position relative to Polaris appears to shift to the right (or clockwise) in the night sky. Consequently, the angle of elevation of Polaris increases.
In summary, as an observer travels due east, the angle of Polaris decreases, and as they travel due west, the angle of Polaris increases.