Name: _________________________ Class: __________

Date: ______________

Lab #8- Earth’s Rotation, Revolution, and the Star ‘Polaris’

Part I: Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow-
Early civilizations were aware of how celestial objects, such as the sun and moon, appeared to move through the sky from
east to west. Because these people could not feel Earth moving, they concluded that Earth was located at the center of the
universe, and the sun and planets revolved around it. Their model of universe was geocentric, or Earth-centered. The
image on the right depicts the geocentric model.
Detailed observations by astronomers in the 16th century and 17th century eventually made the geocentric model difficult
to accept. When the paths of the planets were carefully measured and plotted in an earth-centered model, some of the
planetary motions were very complex and hard to explain. Astronomers began to prefer a simpler model. In the
heliocentric model, the eight planets, including Earth, revolve around the sun while rotating on is axis. This model
accounts for the apparent motion of the sun, moon, and stars across the sky. The image above illustrates the heliocentric
model.
Read through the questions below and answer the questions using the passage above, and your knowledge of Earth
science.
1. Where is the Earth located on the geocentric model?
_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which apparent motion is explained by a geocentric model?

________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does the heliocentric model work?

_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. How does the geocentric model differ from the heliocentric model?
_________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Part II: Label the items on the Earth diagram provided-

1. Southern Hemisphere
2. Northern Hemisphere
3. North Pole
4. South Pole
5. Degree of Tilt
6. Equator
7. Tropic of Cancer
8. Tropic of Capricorn
9. Draw an Arrow Around North
Axis to Indicate the Direction
of Rotation
1. How long does it take Earth to complete one rotation on its axis? Be exact, use your ESRT. ____________________

2. List two (2) pieces of supporting evidence for Earth’s rotation on its axis.

a. ________________________________________________________________________________________

b. ________________________________________________________________________________________

3. List two pieces of supporting evidence for Earth’s revolution around the Sun.

a. ________________________________________________________________________________________

b. ________________________________________________________________________________________

Part III- Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.
Polaris is a star in the tip of the tail of the Little Bear. Its name comes to us from Latin meaning “Pole Star”. Polaris is our
Pole Star, and being situated at the North Pole, it sets below the horizon, remaining nearly motionless in the sky with all
of the stars of the Northern Hemisphere sky rotating around it. Therefore, it makes an excellent fixed point from which to
draw measurements for celestial navigation and for astrometry. Polaris has been close to the actual position of the North
Pole for over 1000 years.
Polaris has long been an important star to sailors, caravans of old winding their way over the desert by night and others
who navigated their way by the stars. Polaris is located almost directly overhead as seen from the North Pole, it is situated
at the tip of the tail in the Ursa Minor constellations (Little Bear). Perhaps more than any star other than the sun, Polaris as
been regarded as the most important star in the heavens. If you went out on the street and asked people at random what
brightest star in the sky was, odds are the majority would say, the North Star! It appears that most people arbitrarily figure
that the most important star in the sky should also be the brightest. But, in truth, Polaris is the star of only medium
brightness.
The best way to find your way to Polaris is to use the so-called ‘pointer’ stars in the bowl of the big dipper. Dubhe and
Merak. Just draw a line between these two stars and extend it out until you meet another point of light, which is Polaris.
Exactly where you see Polaris in the northern hemisphere sky depends on your latitude. From New York, which has a
latitude of 41 degrees, Polaris’s altitude will also be 41 degrees above the northern horizon, which also corresponds to the
latitude of New York
1. What does the name Polaris mean? _______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

2. How is Polaris used to navigate?

__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does one locate Polaris in the night sky?

_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
 4. What is another name for Polaris?
________________________________________________________________

Part IV: Regents Exam Practice

1. On the following image below circle Polaris.

2. In which compass direction were the students facing in the picture above?
________________________________

3. The diagram below represents Earth at one position in its orbit around the Sun. Starting at the North Pole, draw a
straight arrow that points to the location of Polaris.

4. Using the picture below, state the latitude of the observer. __________________________
5. At which New York State location would an observer measure the highest altitude of Polaris?
___________________