As an observer travels due east or due west, what happens to the angle of Polaris?
As an observer travels due east or due west, the angle of Polaris, also known as the North Star, will change. Let's dive into the explanation of why this happens.
Polaris is located almost directly above the Earth's North Pole. Because of the Earth's rotation, as it spins on its axis from west to east, the North Pole remains fixed, and so does Polaris in relation to it. This means that Polaris appears to be stationary in the night sky while the other stars appear to rotate around it.
When you stand at the North Pole, Polaris appears directly overhead at an angle of 90 degrees. However, as you move away from the North Pole towards the equator, Polaris will appear lower in the sky, resulting in a smaller angle.
Now, to understand what happens when an observer travels due east or due west, we need to consider the observer's latitude. When moving due east or due west along the same latitude, the observer is essentially circling around the Earth, parallel to the equator.
As the observer moves eastward or westward, the Earth's surface curving away from the North Pole causes Polaris to appear to shift its position in the sky. The angle between Polaris and the observer's horizontal plane changes accordingly.
Specifically, as the observer travels due east, Polaris will appear to move clockwise in the sky. As a result, the angle between the observer's horizontal plane and Polaris will decrease. Conversely, when the observer travels due west, Polaris will appear to move counterclockwise, causing the angle to increase.
In summary, as an observer travels due east, the angle of Polaris decreases, and as the observer travels due west, the angle of Polaris increases.