There are some limitations to this method. For example, while Polaris is very close to the North Celestial Pole, it's not a perfect match. While Polaris is a year-round guide, other constellations can ...

Because Orion is on the celestial equator, an extension of Earth’s equator that also divides the sky into two hemispheres, Mintaka also sets due west. For north and south, navigators look a pair ...