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Polaris The North Star, a magnitude-two star located less than 1° off the true celestial pole of the northern sky, at the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper. The apparent height of Polaris above the horizon is equal to your latitude to within about 1° with no further corrections. The Nautical Almanac explains how to remove this uncertainty to find latitude more precisely. The actual distance off the pole is equal to 90° - (declination of Polaris). See Polaris Corrections and Latitude by Polaris.

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