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Log innight sky direction finding
night sky direction finding
by Tom H on Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:13 pm
Here is a easy and simple way to find Polaris, The North Star.
http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=2&u=11706949
Find the Big Dipper in the night sky. The section of the Big Dipper that makes a box is what you are looking for. The two stars that make up the right side of the box are your pointer stars. Take a visual measurment of the distance between them and then follow the direction they point upwards five times that distance. This is the North Star which also happens to be the last star on the tail of the Little Dipper. Now that you have found north, you know that directly behind you is south. Knowing these two directions by being able to find a single star is a good start to finding your way without a compass at night.
http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=2&u=11706949
Find the Big Dipper in the night sky. The section of the Big Dipper that makes a box is what you are looking for. The two stars that make up the right side of the box are your pointer stars. Take a visual measurment of the distance between them and then follow the direction they point upwards five times that distance. This is the North Star which also happens to be the last star on the tail of the Little Dipper. Now that you have found north, you know that directly behind you is south. Knowing these two directions by being able to find a single star is a good start to finding your way without a compass at night.
