In our time, orienteering may seem like a completely unnecessary activity. Indeed, why put extra effort, because there is a very useful thing - a navigator. But one day an emergency may occur when neither the navigator nor even the compass is at hand, and then you can navigate on the spot thanks to your own knowledge.
Instructions
Step 1
To determine the cardinal points on a clear day, you need to know when the sun will be at its zenith. Take a stick and stick it into the ground, then mark the line of the cast shadow.
Step 2
Measure the length of the stick's shadow periodically. To do this, you can use a rope with knots or just make serifs on the ground. And at the very moment when the shadow from the stick becomes as short as possible (no more than 7 cm), the sun will be at its highest point, that is, at the zenith.
Step 3
Now you can easily navigate the terrain. Know that if at this time you turn your back to the sun, then the north will be in front of you, the south will be behind, the west will be on the left, and the east will be on the right.
In such a simple way, you can determine the right direction and, possibly, save your life.
Step 4
Theoretically, the zenith can be calculated using the formula h = 90 ° - φ + δ, where h is the height of the sun above the horizon, φ is the latitude of the place of observation, δ is the declination of the sun on a given day.
Step 5
Accordingly, if h> 90 °, then the sun is on the other side of the zenith at an altitude of 180 ° - h. Simply put, the latitude of the observation site must be equal to the declination of the sun, then it will pass through the zenith.
To determine the declination of the sun by dates, information can be found in the Astronomical Calendar.
Step 6
If you just want the zenith of the sun in a particular area at a certain time of the year, then you can go to the Meteostatistics website. for example, Such resources contain long-term observation data and, in particular, the average monthly cosine of the sun's zenith angle, the average monthly zenith in Greenwich, the average monthly maximum angle of the sun relative to the horizon. This indicator is expressed in degrees.
