STAR GAZER
THE INTERNATIONAL EDITION
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Horkheimer: Greetings, greetings fellow star gazers. If someone asked you right now to name the brightest star we can see, what would you say? The North Star? Well if you did, you're wrong. If you said Sirius you're right. Don't feel bad though because most people think the North Star is the brightest star even though there are more than 50 other stars visible to the naked eye which are even brighter. So why do so many people think that the North Star is the brightest star? Well it's probably because it's mentioned more often than any other star because its position in the sky makes it the most important star. Let me explain.
O.K., we've got our skies set up facing north any night during April between the hours of 8 and 10 your local time where you'll easily see the four stars which make up the Big Dipper's cup and the three stars which make up its handle. And once you've found the Big Dipper you can use it to find the North Star. Because all you have to do is take the two stars at the end of the cup which are called the pointer stars, mentally measure the distance between them and then shoot an imaginary arrow 5 1/2 times that distance through them and that arrow will always land smack dab on the North Star. And once you've found it you'll notice that it is indeed not the brightest star in the heavens and is in fact no brighter than the two pointer stars we used to find it.
So why is it so important? Simple, #1 the North Star is always due north and #2 wherever you happen to be in the northern hemisphere it will always be the same number of degrees above the horizon as your latitude above the Earth's equator. So before the invention of the compass the North Star was extremely important to navigators and explorers to determine not only which direction north was but exactly how far north of the equator they were. And wherever you are you can also use the North Star itself to find out how far above the equator you are. You see we measure the distance from the equator to the North Pole in degrees of latitude. The equator is 0 degrees and the North Pole is 90 degrees.
We also measure the distance from any flat horizon to overhead in degrees. 0 degrees is at the horizon, 90 degrees is overhead. If you were at the North Pole the North Star would appear 90 degrees above the horizon, directly overhead. If you were in London it would appear 52 degrees above the horizon, New York, 40 degrees, Miami, 25 degrees. To see how many degrees north you are above the equator first find the North Star above a flat horizon, then hold your fist out at arm's length. A fist will measure ten degrees. So four fists means you're 40 degrees above the equator and so on. Simple and fabulous. And if you get lost at night simply look for the North Star because it will always be due north. If it's not you're either south of the equator or on the wrong planet. Keep looking up!
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Horkheimer: Most people think the North Star is the brightest star but there are 50 other stars which are brighter. So why is it so special? Simple. You can use it to find your direction and your latitude because it is always due north. And it is always the same number of degrees above your horizon as your latitude. In London it's 52 degrees above the horizon, in New York, 40 degrees and in Miami, 25. To find it yourself look for the Big Dipper, shoot an arrow through the 2 stars at the end of the cup and it will land smack dab on the North Star. So if you're ever lost at night you'll not only be able to find due north but you'll also know how far you are above the Earth's equator. Keep looking up!
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* This week's Sky At A Glance and
Planet Roundup from Sky & Telescope.Starry Night Deluxe was used to produce this episode
of Star Gazer
![[SmilinJack]](jack1sm.jpg)
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