Polaris's entire 24-hour circuit is only slightly wider than what celestial object's diameter?
Answer
The full moon.
To quantify how small Polaris's movement is, a common celestial reference point is used: the full moon. The diameter of the full moon as viewed from Earth is roughly half a degree across in angular measurement. The total circuit traced by Polaris over a span of 24 hours is described as being slightly wider than this diameter. This comparison helps illustrate the minuscule nature of its motion, which amounts to only about 0.03 degrees over a single hour, making it visually indistinguishable from a perfectly fixed point without specialized optical aids or very long observational periods.
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