THEORETICAL STUDY OF THE USE OF THE POLARIS STAR AS A REFERENCE FOR THE NORTH POINT IN DETERMINING THE QIBLA DIRECTION

The accuracy of determining the north point is a very important matter in determining the Qibla direction. Finding the north using a compass, especially in buildings, is not encouraged so that an alternative method is needed. Apart from using a compass and istiwa stick (gnomon), Polaris can also be used to reference the north, but it is not popular because of its limited appearance, which is only easily observed in areas which located above latitude 10o N. This study aims to examine theoretically the accuracy of Polaris as a reference for the north point in determining the Qibla direction. This research belongs to library research using secondary data. The data were obtained from various sources such as Stellarium software and various relevant articles. Based on this research, it is concluded that in the region near the equator (less than latitude 10o N), Polaris is difficult to observe because it is very low above the horizon. Thus, for the sake of determining the Qibla direction, the results are inaccurate. Whereas in regions that are located far north from the equator (at latitude above 10o N) the north point can be determined easily because Polaris can be observed quite high. Thus, its use in determining the Qibla direction is classified as accurate.

Accuracy in determining the north point, whether indicated by a compass, stick (gnomon), or celestial body is a very important matter in determining the Qibla direction namely for method that using a calculation approach. This is because the formulas in calculating the Qibla direction such as spherical trigonometry and the Vincenty formula always use the north point as reference. Apart from the interests of the Qibla direction, north point is also indispensable during the initial preparations for telescope operation. For example in the use of telescopes with equatorial mounting mode for observation of celestial objects 4 .
In astronomy and geodesy, the direction of a place or celestial body seen from the observer's location is usually known as azimuth (as-samtu) which is measured from north point to east along the horizon circle 5 . That is why, the provisions of the north point are quite important in the study of astronomy and geodesy.
One of the methods of determining the north point that is often used for the purposes of determining the Qibla direction until now is using a compass, the result of which still requires magnetic declination correction 6 . This correction is necessary because the compass needle is pointing inappropriately to geographic north (north point and also known as true north). Determination of north point using a compass, especially inside buildings, is one way that is not encouraged 7 so an alternative method is needed. In addition to a compass, the direction of north (and south) can also be determined using the stick by making concentrated circular patterns. In addition to using a compass and stick, Polaris can also be used to reference north because it is directly above the north pole and is more accurate than a compass 8 .
Since ancient times, Polaris has been used as a weather vane. This star is part of the constellation Ursa Minor (Little Dipper). Near this constellation, there is also the Ursa Major (Big Dipper) constellation or also known as banat naash al-kubra. constellation Ursa Major (α-β Ursa Major), if a straight line is drawn approximately five times the distance of these two stars, it will directly target Polaris. For regions at the equator, Polaris is certainly hard to observe. However, the constellation Ursa Mayor can still be seen most of the year, especially in northern hemisphere countries that are located in high latitudes. So, by drawing a straight line in a multiple of five times the distance between these two stars, the direction of true north can be estimated 9 .
The use of Polaris position for determining the Qibla direction is not popularly studied, both in Indonesia and throughout the world. For example, the research conducted by Asmuni et.al. (2020)  This research belongs to library research using secondary data. The data are in the form of the appearance of the Polaris star that was observed through the online Stellarium software and from various online articles on observations. This research is also included in qualitative research, namely research that the data are not in the form of numbers, but in the form of words and descriptions 11 . The research applied a scientific approach, which examines scientific problems which are then connected with the problem of determining the Qibla direction. This applies a descriptive analytical approach in analysis, which seeks to provide a critical analysis of the use of Polaris in determining the Qibla direction. The result of the analysis is the accuracy of Polaris as a reference for north point in determining the Qibla direction.

Figure 1: Circumpolar stars 12
A circumpolar star is a star that appears to be constantly circling the poles. The upper and lower culminations remain above the horizon 13 . In the figure above, there is a star P which is a circumpolar star. The most popular circumpoler star is Polaris, which is the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor. Polaris sits almost permanently above the north pole, from hour to hour, from night to night, and has guided explorers for centuries.
Polaris is approximately 430 light years from Earth and is a multi-star system. Polaris has a right ascension of 2° 31' 49" and a declination of +89°15′51". This means that the Polaris star is not positioned exactly at geographic north 14 .
The  of the altitude of Polaris can provide latitude for the observer. Some minor corrections had to be made, because Polaris was not directly above the north pole, but fluctuated. However, the changes are not so significant that this correction which is less than 1 o can be considered insignificant for various purposes. Therefore, Polaris is very accurate as a guide for north or as a reference for calibrating north 16 . Polaris will be the North Star for centuries to come.
However, Polaris wasn't always the North Star forever. In ancient times, the famous star named Thuban in the constellation Draco was the North Star when the ancient Egyptians built the Pyramids. Until recently, Polaris was a good North Star because it is the 50th brightest star in the sky. Polaris has guided humans to find their destination, for example, when Europeans first sailed across the Atlantic more than five centuries ago 17 .

Polaris Star Positioning
The To determine north point using the Ursa Mayor constellation, two methods can be used:

a. Method 1 (used when Polaris is visible)
For regions that are far north of the equator (latitude above 10 o N) such as India, Saudi Arabia, and countries close to the north pole, the north point can be determined easily because Polaris can be observed quite high above the horizon. Polaris is also the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation. North point that we will determine is exactly pointing to this Polaris star.

b. Method 2 (used when Polaris is invisible)
In areas near the equator such as Sambas, Kuala Lumpur, Lhoksmawe, and its surroundings, the Polaris star is difficult to observe because it is very low above the horizon, which is in accordance with the latitude of each location. However, the north direction can be estimated by looking for the Ursa Mayor constellation. We do this by drawing a straight line through the α-β star in the constellation Ursa Mayor. The distance between the star α Ursa Mayor to Polaris is five times the length of the α-β Ursa Mayor line. Look at the following picture.

Theoretical Study of the Accuracy of the Use of Polaris in Determining the Qibla Direction
The Qibla direction is a necessity for every Muslim in the world, both in determining the direction of mosque buildings and for other buildings such as houses, hotels, schools, and so on 24 . In its determination, the method that is often used is calculation methods. The result of calculations, using either the spherical triangle method or the Vincenty formula, is the value of the Qibla direction (angle) from true north. Therefore, determining true north is an important part of the method of determining the Qibla direction. The best direction for north at this time is Polaris.
Polaris is fixed star that are easily visible throughout the year, especially in high latitudes. Because it is a fixed star, Polaris never sets like the Sun and other stars. For the use of Polaris in determining the direction of the Qibla, this discussion will categorize the hemisphere into two parts, namely the regions located at latitude 0 o -10 o N and the regions located at latitude above 10 o N.

For regions located at latitude 0 o -10 o N
In this region (such as Southeast Asian countries), Polaris is difficult to see or even invisible due to its very low appearance. In addition, this region includes countries with wet tropical climates with high rainfall so that the sky is often full of cloud which makes it difficult to observe Polaris due to its very low position on the Horizon.

C. CONCLUSION
In regions near the equator, Polaris is difficult to observe because it is so low above the horizon. However, the north direction in the region can be estimated by looking for the Ursa Major constellation by drawing a straight line through the α-β stars where the distance between the α-β stars Ursa Major to Polaris is five times the length of the α-β line. Because Polaris is not visible, the results of determining the north direction are still approximate (dzanniy). Thus, for the sake of determining the Qibla direction using this method, the results are inaccurate. To draw a line 5 times the length of the α-β star, special observation equipment such as binoculars and others are needed and must be calibrated For areas far north of the equator (in latitude above 10o N), north point can be determined easily because in this northern hemisphere, Polaris can be observed by Theodolite quite high above the horizon. The use of the theodolite in determining the direction of north is to target the Polaris shot in the center of the telescope of theodolite. After being aimed right at the center of the telescope, lock the theodolite. Next, rotate the theodolite horizontally according to the angle or azimuth of the Qibla direction based on calculation. After the theodolite points to the Qibla, then the direction of the theodolite telescope is projected on the plane or floor so that a straight line is obtained leading to the Qibla.