How Good Is Your Geographic? [5]

[Rollo]

Q: How many North Poles are there?

[D-Type]

I reckon there's four:
(1) The true Geographic pole - the point at 90 degrees north where all lines of longitude meet
(2) The Magnetic North Pole
(3) There must be a third and fourth or the question wouldn't be subtle enough - is it the location of the "North Pole" scientific research station.
(4) The point where the earth's axis of rotation meets the surface. It differs from (1) because the earth is not a perfect sphere.

Then of course there's Santa's home which is debatably either at the North Pole or somewhere in Greenland.

[Rollo]

I reckon there's four:
(1) The true Geographic pole - the point at 90 degrees north where all lines of longitude meet
(2) The Magnetic North Pole
(3) There must be a third and fourth or the question wouldn't be subtle enough - is it the location of the "North Pole" scientific research station.
(4) The point where the earth's axis of rotation meets the surface. It differs from (10) because the earth is not a perfect sphere.

Then of course there's Santa's home which is debatably either at the North Pole or somewhere in Greenland.

1 - is good
2 - is good
3 - there is a subtle answer
4 - that answer is nominally the same as 1.

There could also be the most northerly Polish Person

[Storm]

btw I did not understand the logic for #4? They should not be wildly different even due to the oblate nature of earth..
anyways is 4th the celestial north pole?

[Rollo]

btw I did not understand the logic for #4? They should not be wildly different even due to the oblate nature of earth..
anyways is 4th the celestial north pole?

Earth is an oblate spheroid which means that it is flattened at the poles and bugles at the middle. The geographic pole of bodies (and indeed earth) IS the axis of rotation and in practice, it varies no more than a few metres.
Earth is not a perfect sphere but even if it was shaped like a chihuahua its rotational axis would still define the geographic poles.
The celestial north pole is directly above geographic north pole (azimuth)

[Storm]

Thats what I meant rollo that they should not be different as per D-Type's suggestion.


correct, the celestial NP is directly above, basically the same imaginery line stretched to cut the so called celestial sphere...But then the geo NP and celestial NP become TWO different points on the same line eh?

[anfield5]

I remember hearing the number 7 as an answer for this

[D-Type]

Every planet, satellite and asteroid in the Solar System has a North Pole, so there are thousands of them. But I think the question relates to places on Earth.
Are you including places named "North Pole" or are you looking for a third geographical North Pole?

[Rollo]

I reckon there's four:

I'm going to give this.

1. Geographic North Pole - Defined from the point of rotation
2. Magnetic North Pole - The point where magnetic lines of forces enter vertically
3. Geomagnetic North Pole - which is where where the axis of the best-fitting dipole intersects the Earth's surface, if the earth was a giant magnet.
4. North Pole of Inaccessibility - Which is the furthest point from any land mass

[D-Type]

OK, I'll try and find a question.
If anyone has a good question, feel free to post it.