UPSC Prelims 2012·GS1·geography·general geography

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

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  1. Adirection facing the polestar
  2. Bdirection opposite to the polestar
  3. Cdirection keeping the polestar to his leftCorrect
  4. Ddirection keeping the polestar to his right

Explanation

To solve this question, you must first identify the direction of the Polestar. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Polestar, or Polaris, always indicates the North direction. The person needs to travel East. According to the cardinal directions, if you are facing North towards the Polestar, East is exactly 90 degrees to your right. Therefore, if the person walks towards the East, the North direction and the Polestar will be situated to his left side. Walking with the Polestar to his left ensures he is heading East, making option C the correct and most convenient way to reach his village.
geography: 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 poi
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