A person stood alone in a desert on a dark night and wanted to reach his village which was situated

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2012 UPSC Prelims Geography paper.

Q: How can I prepare for UPSC Prelims Geography?

To prepare for UPSC Prelims Geography, practice previous year questions (PYQs), understand concepts thoroughly, and solve mock tests regularly. This 2012 question covers Wind Systems, Pressure Belts & Jet Streams topic.

Q: What is the difficulty level of this question?

This UPSC Prelims 2012 Geography question has a easy difficulty level.

Q: Where can I find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions?

You can find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions on AspirantMitraa. Browse by subject, topic, year, and difficulty level to practice effectively.

Question

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 Pole Star. The most convenient way now to reach his village is to walk in the

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: C — direction keeping the Pole Star to his leftSolution:The Pole Star (Polaris) is located almost exactly above the Earth's North Pole — it appears stationary in the northern sky and always points (approximately) true North. This fundamental property has been used by navigators and travellers for millennia.If the Pole Star is to a person's left side, that means: North is on his left → he is facing East (since East is 90° clockwise from North, when North is to the left, you face East).Simple verification: Face North (towards Pole Star) → Right hand points East, Left hand points West → Now turn 90° to the right (to face East) → the Pole Star that was in front of you is now to your LEFT.Since the village is 5 km east, the person needs to walk east — which means keeping the Pole Star to his left.Why other options are incorrect:Option A (Facing Pole Star = facing North): This takes the person north, not east.Option B (Away from Pole Star = facing South): This takes the person south, not east.Option D (Pole Star to his right = facing West): If North is on the right, you face West — opposite direction from the village.Key Concept: Cardinal direction navigation using the Pole Star: Face Polaris → you face North; Polaris behind → facing South; Polaris to right → facing West; Polaris to left → facing East. The Pole Star has a declination of approximately 89.3°N — almost precisely at the celestial North Pole. Polaris is the brightest star in Ursa Minor (Little Bear/Little Dipper). To locate it: find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major), draw a line through the two outermost stars of its 'cup' (Dubhe and Merak) — extend that line about 5× the distance between them — it points to Polaris. Navigation by stars is a fundamental geographic and survival skill tested in UPSC.

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 Pole Star. The most convenient way now to reach his village is to walk in the

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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 Pole Star. The most convenient way now to reach his village is to walk in the

Master UPSC Prelims with Our Test Series

More Questions from Wind Systems, Pressure Belts & Jet Streams

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