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By Ed Jones
Ever wondered how people found their way at night before GPS? Before we had satellites and google maps to guide our way, humans had to rely on more natural sources for directions, namely, the stars. Using the night sky for navigation is a very handy tool to have. Here are several ways to find directions using the night sky.
Finding South If you visit the Perth Observatory, we will show you how to find South using the southern cross, there are two basic methods: 1. Imagine a line joining the two stars at the “head” and “foot” of the cross. Extend the line out another 4 lengths from the foot of the cross and this will be the position of the South Celestial Pole (SCP). Look straight down from the SCP to the horizon, you’ve found south!! 2. Another slightly trickier, but more accurate way to find south is to use the Southern Cross and the two pointer stars from the nearby constellation of Centaurus. Draw a line through the two stars at the head and foot of the cross in the same way as described above (1). Then join the two pointers with a line (2) and draw a perpendicular line (3) towards line 1 and where they intersect is the SCP. Look straight down from the SCP to the horizon, you’ve found south
2022 AUTUMN EDITION
Navigation Using The Night Sky
