The
North Star is a beacon that we can use to guide us in the
backcountry.
Few
hikers use the celestial bodies in the night sky to navigate by. But on a clear
night, the night sky provides a feature that is an excellent source of
direction. It doesn’t matter if it is June or November, if you are in Wyoming
or Oregon.
The
North Star or Polaris is the principle star that I will focus on.
For
the backcountry hiker consider that Polaris is fixed in position over the
northern pole. Unique from other celestial stars and planets, Polaris is very
closely aligned to the earth’s axis. Stars and planets rotate around Polaris.
And like the sun, this rotation is from east to west through the sky. Polaris
will be found approximately half way between the northern horizon and straight
overhead. In the northern hemisphere, Polaris can found in our northern sky and
is never more 1° from true north – the North Pole.
Outdoor Quest - Finding Polaris |
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