🌍 GeographyUPSC 2001Soil

If the stars are seen to rise perpendicular to the horizon by an observer, he is located on the :

aEquator
bTropic of Cancer
cSouth Pole
dNorth Pole
✓ Correct answer: a) Equator
ExplanationIf an observer sees the stars rising perpendicular to the horizon, they are positioned at the equator.At the Earth’s equator, stars appear to rise straight up from the eastern horizon, move directly overhead, and set in the west.This occurs because the Earth’s rotational axis is perpendicular to the observer’s horizon at this location.The celestial equator, which is an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator into space, perfectly aligns with the observer’s horizon.As a result, stars follow a vertical trajectory as they rise and set.In contrast, at other latitudes, such as the Tropic of Cancer, the North Pole, or the South Pole, stars rise and set at different an- gles due to the observer’s varying position on the globe and the tilt of the Earth.479

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