It is unlikely that when you go out of town, on a picnic or picking mushrooms, you will be wise to take a compass with you. You probably won't even think about it. But getting off the road in unfamiliar terrain is quite easy. And the ability to navigate can be very useful. True, the practical result will be only if you know which side of the city you left.
Instructions
Step 1
Orientation by the North Star is perhaps the most famous way to determine the cardinal points. Find the Big Dipper, a bucket-shaped constellation. It consists of seven bright stars. Through the two extreme right, mentally draw a straight line. Set aside on it a distance of about 5 times greater than between these stars. At the end of the straight line is the North Star. Face her. You are now facing north. Well, now remember the course in nature studies in elementary school. If you turn to face north, then behind you will be south, left - west, right - east.
Step 2
During the day, you can navigate by the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is in the south at noon. The shortest shadow from objects occurs at 13 o'clock. At this time, it is directed strictly north. And then again, as they taught at school - west on the left, east on the right.
Step 3
It's a good idea to remember that the direction of sunrise and sunset changes with the seasons. In winter, the Sun rises in the southeast and sets in the southwest. In summer, sunrise in the east, sunset in the west.
Step 4
On a clear day, you can navigate using a mechanical watch. Point the hour hand towards the sun. Divide the angle between it and the number 1 in half. The resulting imaginary line will point south. North will be behind you. Accordingly, to the right and to the left - west and east.
Step 5
Wherever you find yourself, never panic or despair. Try to remember everything you know about orienteering. You will find many clues around you. For example, anthills are located on the south side of the tree. Trunks and boulders are covered with moss from the north, since they are less illuminated by the sun from this side. And on the bark of birches, you can see a longitudinal dark stripe. The reason is the same. The southern side of the tree dries quickly when exposed to sunlight. But in the north, moisture stagnation forms. At the intersections of forest clearings, pillars are usually installed, on which the numbers of the quarters are indicated. All four of them are numbered at the top. The edge between the two sides with the lower numbers points north.
Step 6
Never draw conclusions from just one tree, boulder, or anthill. A combination of several signs will help you navigate correctly. Have you identified the north? Stand facing that side. Now east to your right.
Step 7
Some buildings are strictly oriented towards the sides of the horizon. The bell towers of Christian churches are facing west, and the lowered edge of the lower crossbeam of the cross on the dome is facing south, raised to the north.
