Geography2012
A person stood alone in a desert on a dark night and wanted to reach his village which was situated 5 km east of the point where he was standing. He had no instruments to find the direction but he located the polestar. The most convenient way now to reach his village is to walk in the
Explanation
The polestar, or Polaris, is located almost directly above the North Pole and serves as a reliable indicator of true north in the northern hemisphere. By keeping the polestar to his left, the person will be walking towards the east, as east is perpendicular to north in this context. This method utilizes the stars for navigation, which aligns with traditional navigation techniques and demonstrates the practical application of celestial navigation, a concept relevant for understanding geographical orientation in UPSC Prelims GS Paper I.