* Polaris is a circumpolar star. This means it appears to circle around the celestial North Pole and never sets below the horizon for observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
* Latitude is the key factor. The higher your latitude (further north you are), the more circumpolar stars you can see. This is because Polaris is aligned with the Earth's rotational axis, so it appears stationary in the sky.
* Being too far south DOES prevent seeing Polaris. At the equator, Polaris is right on the horizon, and from the Southern Hemisphere, it's completely below the horizon.
So, while latitude is the reason you might not see Polaris, it's not because you're "too far south." It's because you're at a latitude where Polaris is below the horizon.
