Question

Ancients noticed patterns in the motion of objects in the sky, which led to the development of units of time, like hours, days, weeks, months and years. Which of the following moves least in the sky regardless of the time period being considered?

Answer 1

Answer: Polaris

Options:

the moon

the sun

Polaris

Sirius, the dog star

Explanation:

Polaris, also known as the North Star is a star in the Ursa Minor. It is the brightest in this Constellation and when observed over a long period of time, it seems to stays in the same position.  

The angle at which Polaris is observed will be similar to the latitude of the observer’s location. For instance if it is seen to be 35 degrees above the horizon, the observer’s location is at a latitude of roughly 35 degrees.

This is due to the closeness of the Polaris to the North Celestial Pole, the axis of the stars in the Northern Sky. As the earth rotates, this creates the appearance that Polaris is stationary.