An observer in the Northern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky. If the illustration below depicts the photograph taken by the observer, which direction was the camera pointing?
A) straight north
B) straight east
C) straight south
D) straight west
E) straight up, directly overhead

Question

An observer in the Northern Hemisphere takes a time exposure photograph of the night sky. If the illustration below depicts the photograph taken by the observer, which direction was the camera pointing? 
A) straight north 
B) straight east 
C) straight south 
D) straight west 
E) straight up, directly overhead

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The photograph shows the rotation of the stars around the North Star, Polaris. This rotation is only visible in the Northern Hemisphere, and Polaris is only directly overhead when facing north. Therefore, the camera must have been pointed straight north. The photograph shows a circular pattern of star trails that are centered around the North Star, which is located almost directly at the North Celestial Pole. This means that the camera must have been pointing towards the north direction to capture this pattern.

An Observer in the Northern Hemisphere Takes a Time Exposure