Chapter 5

CIRCUMPOLAR BODIES
Introduction
Circumpolar bodies are those bodies that, due to their location with
respect to the Earth's pole, never set.
A good example of circumpolar stars is the stars which are located near
the celestial poles of the celestial sphere. As the Earth rotates, the sky
appears to rotate around the pole star and most stars will be hidden
below the horizon at some point in their circular paths. If, from a certain
location, a star is near enough to the celestial pole that it never appears
to go "under the horizon"; it will be visible (from the said location) for the
entire night, on every day of the year for a given latitude.
Such a definition implies that different stars can be defined as
circumpolar at different latitudes. For example, to an observer placed
right at the Earth's North or South Pole, virtually all the stars are
circumpolars. For an observer exactly on the equator, no star can be
defined circumpolar, as the pole star itself is on the horizon. At different
latitudes, an intermediate situation makes some stars circumpolars and
others not. To an observer at the North Pole in summer even the sun
becomes a circumpolar body.
If the altitude of a circumpolar body is observed over the observers
meridian (upper transit) and again when it is on the observers inferior
meridian (lower transit), it is possible to determine the observers
latitude and the bodys declination. This is of course, if the observer
remains at the same station during both the observations.
The following figures show the two cases of circumpolar bodies for an
observer in North latitude. The elevated pole is the North celestial pole.

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Fig A shows the circumpolar body which bears North on both lower and
upper transits.
Fig B shows the circumpolar body, which bears north when on the lower
transit but bears south when on the upper transit.
To calculate the observers latitude and the bodys declination having
observed the upper and lower transit altitudes of a circumpolar body,
proceed as follows.
1.

Draw an approximate figure as shown above, placing the X and X

positions of the body when it is at its upper and lower transits
respectively, using the altitude and its bearing above the horizon in
each case.

2.

Place the elevated pole P a position midway between X and X and

draw the declination circle of the body.

3.

Draw the equinoctial WQE such that PQ = 90

4.

Obtain the diameter of the declination circle as follows:

Upper meridian altitude Lower meridian altitude (when bearings

are same in both cases)

180 (Upper meridian altitude + Lower meridian altitude) (when

bearings are different in both cases)

5.

The diameter divided by 2 gives the Polar distance of the body (PX or
PX)

6.

90 - Polar distance is the declination of the body, which is named same

as the elevated pole.

7.

Polar distance + lower meridian altitude = the altitude of the pole = the
latitude of the observer and is named same as the elevated pole.

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