To be your own instrument-builder, in the spirit (but without the budget) of Tycho Brahe, make a device for measuring angles from a protractor and a plastic straw:

1. In this way measure the altitude of the star Polaris. While the Alaska state flag exaggerates its brightness, it does show how to use the pointer stars in the Big Dipper to find it. Write the date, time, and place (nearest city) of your observation and the altitude you obtained for Polaris.

2. Once you have found Polaris, you can use it to find north, which is on your horizon directly below it. Then you can turn your protractor horizontal and find the azimuth of a star or planet as well as its altitude. The azimuth is 0° for an object which is north (directly under or over Polaris), 90° if it is due east, 180° if it is south, 270° if it is west, etc. up to 359° if it is just one degree west of the pole. What will you have to do if your object is in the western half of the sky? Find both coordinates of the bright planet Jupiter at one time. Write your location with the date, time, altitude and azimuth of Jupiter. Hint: It will be easier if you place or find a marker directly under Polaris and another directly under Jupiter.

Note: ° should be the symbol for degrees.

Think about your answers. If an object is directly above you what is its altitude? If it is more than halfway from the horizon to straight overhead, what are possible values? If it is less than half way up?