The North Star
Among the multitude of stars in the universe, there are a couple that are
of great importance to people on Earth. The sun, of course, is one of
them. The other is known as Polaris, the North Star. Polaris is special
because it is the only star that always appears to be in the same place in
the sky. Therefore, Polaris is a great compass. When people in the
northern hemisphere of Earth look toward Polaris, they can be certain
that they are facing north. The permanence of Polaris in the north sky
has helped countless people find their destinations.
Before the Invention of modern navigation tools, mariners relied on
Polaris. From the top of their hulls, sailors would look for Polaris to figure
out their place at sea. They figured out the angle between the star and
the horizon to determine their latitude. As long as the equations weren't
erroneous, the results were very reliable. Polaris also let sailors
determine North, South, East, and West. By knowing directions and their
location, mariners could easily navigate their ships.
To those who sail at night, volatile storms and dark clouds were more
than nuisances. They could disrupt entire journeys by blocking the view
of Polaris. A captain could err and make an inadvertent wrong turn. The
ship could become stranded at sea, and the frantic captain would have
no way to improvise to get the ship back on the right course. The
mariner's fears wouldn't be soothed until the clouds cleared and Polaris
came back into view. Even today, sailors sometimes opt to navigate by
using Polaris on clear nights.
It's not difficult to differentiate Polaris from other stars. The Big Dipper, a
constellation that is well known in astrology, appears to revolve around
Polaris. The handle of the Big Dipper always points to the North Star.
When people get lost, it's comforting to know that their problems can be
alleviated by looking at the sky.
The North Star
Among the multitude of stars in the
universe, there are a couple that are
of great importance to people on
Earth. The sun, of course, is one of
them. The other is known as Polaris,
the North Star. Polaris is special
because it is the only star that
always appears to be in the same
place in the sky. Therefore, Polaris
is a great compass. When people in
the northern hemisphere of Earth
look toward Polaris, they can be
certain that they are facing north.
The permanence of Polaris in the
north sky has helped countless
people find their destinations.
Before the Invention of modern
navigation tools, mariners relied on
Polaris. From the top of their hulls,
sailors would look for Polaris to
figure out their place at sea. They
figured out the angle between the
star and the horizon to determine
their latitude. As long as the
equations weren't erroneous, the
results were very reliable. Polaris
also let sailors determine North,
South, East, and West. By knowing
directions and their location,
mariners could easily navigate their
ships.
To those who sail at night, volatile
storms and dark clouds were more
than nuisances. They could disrupt
entire journeys by blocking the view
of Polaris. A captain could err and
make an inadvertent wrong turn.
The ship could become stranded at
sea, and the frantic captain would
have no way to improvise to get the
ship back on the right course. The
mariner's fears wouldn't be soothed
until the clouds cleared and Polaris
came back into view. Even today,
sailors sometimes opt to navigate by
using Polaris on clear nights.
It's not difficult to differentiate
Polaris from other stars. The Big
Dipper, a constellation that is well
known in astrology, appears to
revolve around Polaris. The handle
of the Big Dipper always points to
the North Star. When people get
lost, it's comforting to know that their
problems can be alleviated by
looking at the sky.
