🔍 Key Concepts

• Upper vs. lower transit of a star across the observer’s meridian • Relationship between a star’s declination, the observer’s latitude, and whether the star ever sets • Definition and characteristics of a circumpolar star

💭 Think About

• Think about what has to be true for a star to cross your meridian twice in one sidereal day and still be above your horizon both times • Ask yourself: in what situation does a star pass between you and the pole, and then on the far side of the pole, without ever dipping below the horizon? • Compare what happens to stars whose declination is less than, equal to, or greater than your latitude—do they rise and set, or are they always visible?

✅ Before You Answer

• Clarify what lower transit physically means on the celestial sphere (position relative to the pole and your meridian) • Verify which condition makes a star always above the horizon for your latitude • Check which option describes a property that guarantees the star will have both upper and lower transits visible to you