When hiking in the forest, you never plan to get lost, the places seem familiar and you don’t need a compass, but at any moment a situation may arise when you have to navigate the area without a compass.
For a complete understanding of orienteering based on natural signs, we will first look at how to easily and quickly understand the cardinal directions, so...
In order to know where is East and where is West, what is North or South - use a simple technique - imagine a map of Russia - the top of the map is North, the bottom of Russia is South, respectively, stand in front of an imaginary map and spread your arms, now your left hand is pointing to the West, and the right to the East - China, Japan - such a simple association, gives you the opportunity not to get confused in the cardinal directions, and at any time determine the direction.
How to determine the direction of the world without a compass
An old method familiar from life safety lessons - anthills are located on the south side of the tree, this statement is partly true, for greater accuracy, draw lines from several anthills and make sure they are unidirectional.
The further south you are, the greater the errors with this method.
Moss on trees grows on the north side, but not on all of them, efficiency is from 50%
Moss in most cases grows on all sides, try to determine where the moss most densely covers the bark.
The crown of the trees is more “fluffy” on the southern side, but in a dense forest it is almost impossible to determine whether on a swamp or on a lonely tree, this sign is more pronounced - especially on spruce and pine trees - old dried trees practically look like an arrow - with a sharp end pointing to north.
You have a saw with you, cut down a small tree and look at the annual rings, on the north side they have the smallest thickness, the southern direction has more fleshy rings.
Determining the cardinal directions by the sun and the clock
When hiking in the forest, you never plan to get lost, the places seem familiar and you don’t need a compass, but at any moment a situation may arise when you have to navigate the area without a compass. For a complete understanding of orienteering based on natural signs, we will first look at how to easily and quickly understand the cardinal directions, so... In order to know where is East and where is West, what is North or South - use a simple technique - imagine a map of Russia - the top of the map - this is the North, the bottom of Russia, respectively the South, stand in front of an imaginary map and spread your arms, now your left hand points to the West, and your right hand points to the East - China, Japan - such a simple association, gives you the opportunity not to get confused in the cardinal directions, and at any time determine the direction. How to determine the direction of the world without a compass An old method familiar from life safety lessons - anthills are located on the south side of the tree, this statement is partly true, for greater accuracy, draw lines from several anthills and make sure they are unidirectional. The further south you are, the greater the errors with this method. Moss on trees grows on the north side, but not on all of them; efficiency is 50% or more. In most cases, moss grows on all sides, try to determine where the moss most densely covers the bark. The crown of the trees is more “fluffy” on the southern side, but in a dense forest it is almost impossible to determine whether on a swamp or on a lonely tree, this sign is more pronounced - especially on spruce and pine trees - old dried trees practically look like an arrow - with a sharp end pointing to north. You have a saw with you, cut down a small tree and look at the annual rings, on the north side they have the smallest thickness, the southern direction has thicker rings. Determining the cardinal directions by the sun and the clock
Place the clock so that the hour hand points to the Sun, mentally draw a line from the center of the clock at 1 hour - line A, then divide the angle / sun - 1 hour / in half, the resulting line will point with the upper ray to the South
A good way for the North-West.
Determining North by the stars

Place the clock so that the hour hand points to the Sun, mentally draw a line from the center of the clock at 1 hour - line A, then divide the angle / sun - 1 hour / in half, the resulting line will point with the upper ray to the South. A good way for the North-West . Determining North by the stars
The Polar Star is the brightest star in the north - find the Big Dipper - the Big Dipper - in the sky - mentally take the outer line of the bucket and put five segments equal to the height of the bucket outwards - you will run into the Polar Star - its position corresponds to the geographical North.

A completely inaccurate method - the Sun rises in the East, and sunset in the South.

How to determine cardinal directions?
Determining the cardinal directions

The most reliable way to determine your location relative to the cardinal points is a compass. Despite its simple design, many people do not know how to use it, although the procedure is quite simple. You just need to set the device's front sight to zero and keep the compass in a horizontal position. Now you need to release the magnetic needle brake and turn so that the northern part of the needle is at zero. Now you need to select a distant landmark, which will be located in the north. That's basically it. The opposite side will be south, the east will be on the right, and the west will be on the left.

But is it possible to determine the cardinal directions without a compass? Many of us have read interesting adventure novels by different authors, and remember the fascinating events described there. It was in these books that the main characters managed to determine the cardinal directions using the starry sky. Anyone can do this, as long as the night is clear and the stars are bright. First you need to find the constellation Ursa Major, which in outline resembles a ladle. Then you need to find the constellation Ursa Minor, also in the form of a smaller bucket. From the top star of the Big Dipper bucket, set aside a distance 5 times equal to the gap between the top of the bucket and the star at its base. If everything is done correctly, your gaze will fall on the polar star, which is the end of the handle of the Ursa Minor dipper. From it it is necessary to draw a hypothetical line to the ground, it will indicate the direction to the north.

Now let's learn about how to determine the cardinal directions in an apartment. Many people strive to arrange furniture and interior attributes of their homes according to certain rules, such as Feng Shui. To do this, you need to know exactly where north, south, east and west are. You can use a compass to determine the cardinal directions in your apartment. The fact is that the compass works the same almost anywhere on Earth, with the exception of anomalous magnetic zones. You can also determine the cardinal directions using a clock and the sun. To do this, you will need a regular watch with a circular dial and two hands, and, of course, sunny weather. The method works from 6 am to 6 pm. Position the clock so that its hour hand points to the sun. The angle between 12 o'clock and the hour hand must be mentally divided in half. This line will point south. Before 12 noon, the south is located to the right of the sun, after this time it is to the left. Here's how to determine the cardinal directions using a clock.

Also, the cardinal directions can be determined by many natural signs. This will come in handy in the forest:

The north side of trees, stones, stumps, etc., is usually rich in moss and lichen.
If the air temperature is high, trees such as spruce and pine actively secrete resin on their south side.
If you are in the mountains, then it is best to pay attention to the composition of the trees. Spruce, fir, and beech grow on the northern side of the mountain. The southern slopes of the hill are rich in oak and pine trees.
Tree mushrooms grow on the north side of trees.
An anthill can tell a traveler about the location of the cardinal directions. On the south side it is flatter. From the north it is less flat. Ants also prefer to build their home on the south side of supporting objects (trees, bushes, stumps).

When using Feng Shui techniques to calculate and find the sectors of wealth, love and career, it is very important to know how to determine the cardinal directions at home without a compass. If you believe this eastern practice, feng shui orienting an apartment to the cardinal directions can easily bring peace, comfort and harmony into the apartment. However, you don’t always have a compass at hand. And not everyone knows for sure the location of the apartment in the cardinal directions. But you shouldn't give up on this matter. Without any problems and with ease, you can determine the sides of the horizon without leaving your apartment and without much effort.

Determining cardinal directions in an apartment

The first method is this: Most advanced housewives try to arrange furniture in their apartment according to certain rules and norms of Feng Shui. But in order to use this teaching, you need to understand quite accurately how to orient the house to the cardinal points. In fact, you can easily find out the location of all four directions of the earth using a compass. This is a surefire way to recognize cardinal directions. A working compass shows the same result in all corners of Mother Earth, regardless of location and altitude. However, anomalous magnetic zones act as an exception.

Although everyone knows about the existence of a compass, not everyone knows how to operate it correctly. There's really nothing complicated here. The front sight of the device is set to the zero position. The compass itself is taken and placed horizontally. Next, the magnetic needle brake mechanism is released. You need to turn around in such a way that the northern part of the compass pointer stops at zero. North will be located in this direction. On the opposite side is south, on the left is west, and opposite is east. However, this tool is not always at hand.

Determining cardinal directions in an apartment without a compass

For this you don’t need much: beautiful sunny weather and a wrist watch. Take a simple round watch with a dial edge and, most importantly, with hands. Apply this method between six in the morning and 18:00 in the evening. They are positioned in such a way that the hour hand is turned in the direction of the sun. Then we divide the angle between twelve o’clock of the selected hand in half. It is this imaginary line that will show the location of the south. For reference: At 12 noon, south will be located to the right of the sun. If you check after 12 o'clock - on the left. Now it will not be difficult to determine the cardinal directions while indoors.

The exception will be cloudy days. Also some tips on how you can calculate the location of the cardinal directions by checking several wildlife beacons. Very useful information for forest lovers:

1. Shrubs, stumps, trees, as is usually the case, are covered with lichen, moss and thick bark on the northern side.
2. At elevated temperatures, spruce exudes resin abundantly, thereby indicating the southern direction to the traveler.
3. In the mountains, cardinal directions are usually determined by the quantitative composition of trees. Typically, the northern slopes are abundantly dotted with spruce, beech and pine trees. On the southern slopes, oaks and pines abound.
4. Mushroom growth grows best on a tree trunk on the north side.

Thanks to advanced technologies, it is now difficult to get lost in unfamiliar areas. But situations are quite likely when a person finds himself without a connection or a compass in a forest or in the mountains, and perhaps in an unfamiliar city. Then the problem of how to determine where north is without a compass becomes vitally important.

In such a situation, simple principles of orientation based on indirect signs that were used in ancient times can help out. They require a little theoretical knowledge of biology and astronomy and practical skills.

• There are many simple ways to navigate. This task is easiest to perform during the day, in sunny weather. If, standing with your back to the sun, you spread your arms to the sides, then the west will be on your left, and the east will be on your right. The face will be turned to the north. In areas belonging to the Southern Hemisphere, everything will be the other way around.
• One of the methods for finding cardinal directions is shadow. To use it, you need a stick or peg. The longer it is, the more accurate the measurements will be. Instead, you can use a stationary object, preferably with a sharp tip, to obtain more accurate data.

According to this method:

• you need to drive a peg into the ground so that its shadow is visible on the surface;
• mark the end of the shadow with any available object, you can just use a pebble;
• after 30-40 minutes, the next position of the shadow cast by the peg is recorded;
• if the marked points are connected by a segment, its ends will point to the west and east, respectively, finding out the location of the south and north will not be difficult.

Given that the sun moves from east to west, it is not difficult to guess where each end points. To understand where north is, you should draw another straight line, which will be perpendicular to the first. The shadow method is unsuitable for polar latitudes, which are located above the 60th parallel.

• You can find the cardinal directions using the most ordinary clocks, equipped with hands and a dial, which can be found in almost every room:
• place them on a flat surface, turning clockwise towards the luminary;
• An acute angle is formed between the segment connecting the center of the dial with the 12:00 mark and the hand; its bisector will extend to the south and north with its ends.

To calculate the sides by the clock, you need to remember the peculiarities of the movement of the sun. If an object is located in the Northern Hemisphere, at noon the star will be in the south, and vice versa. During daylight saving time, the second side of the corner lies on the segment connecting the center of the dial with the 1:00 mark. If you don't have a regular watch, an electronic one can help. After looking at the time, you just need to imagine where the hour hand would be located and turn the watch in that direction towards the sun.

• Some people try to arrange their home according to the laws of Feng Shui or other rules, for which they have to find the north in the apartment. In such cases, you can also take advantage of sunny weather and watches. Until twelve o'clock in the afternoon, the direction south is to the right of the sun, and later - to the left.
• For a tourist who is abroad and gets lost in an unfamiliar city, a little advice may be useful. In any temple, the altar faces east. If it is on the right, then the face will be facing north.
• The listed methods can help in finding the cardinal directions in the presence of the sun. If the day is cloudy or stormy, it is impossible to understand exactly how to determine where north is. In this case, you will have to look for other landmarks.

One of them can be an ordinary needle:

• you need to magnetize it by rubbing it on a sweater or hair;
• fix it on a wooden crust or leaf and lower it into a vessel with water or a small puddle;
• the placement of the needle will indicate the north-south direction.

However, this method requires auxiliary data, since it does not indicate which end of the needle is pointing north.

Methods of orientation using stars

How to determine where is north and where is south at night, by the light of the stars?

• On a clear starry night, the traditional landmark has always been the North Star. In the Northern Hemisphere, it indicates the northern direction:
• first you need to select the two stars farthest from the tail in the Ursa Major bucket;
• connecting them with an imaginary segment, you need to extend it upward five times the distance;
• its end will point to the terminal star in the tail of the Little Dipper.

It is called Polar. This method of calculating cardinal directions is considered the most accurate. To understand how to determine where north and south, west and east are, you need to imagine a straight line extending from the North Star and perpendicular to the surface of the earth. It will show exactly the direction to the north.

Other sides will not be difficult to find. However, the Polar Star is not the brightest in this part of the sky, so it is better to take the Ursa Minor bucket as a guide.

• In the Southern Hemisphere it is impossible to see the North Star; here the Southern Cross can serve as a guide. Of the five stars in this constellation, four are brighter, they are located in the shape of a cross, shifted to one of the ends. How can you determine where is south without a compass? If you connect two stars located at the ends of the larger axis of the cross with a segment, and in your imagination continue to five times the distance, its end will indicate a certain point in the sky. A perpendicular drawn from it to the ground will be a landmark in the southern direction; it will help to find other parts of the world.
• From all parts of the world the constellation Orion is clearly visible. In it you need to find three bright stars that make up Orion’s belt - they are located nearby and stretch from west to east. Looking higher, you should mentally imagine your head and hands. This direction will point north.

Natural landmarks

When visiting the area for the first time, you need to remember your school geography lessons:

• on tree trunks, stones and stumps, the northern side is more densely covered with moss;
• in the spring, when the snow melts, holes are formed at the base of the trees, extending to the south;
• tree mushrooms appear on the trees on the north side;
• if trees grow sparsely, then they have much fewer branches on the north side; spruce trees stand out in this regard;
• anthills are usually located on the south side of stumps or bushes, from here they are also flatter;
• when in the mountains, you need to take a closer look at the surrounding trees - on the northern slopes, mostly conifers and beech usually grow, and on the southern slopes there are oak and pine groves;
• thawed patches appear faster on southern slopes;
• on the south side, berries on bushes ripen faster.

However, you cannot rely on just one sign. By comparing several indicators, you need to draw the right conclusion.

Another way to find parts of the world by the clock is to track the movement of the sun across the sky. Early in the morning it rises in the east, and at 10:00 it is in the southeast. At exactly noon the star is located in the south, at four o’clock in the afternoon it shines in the southwest, and at seven in the evening it is already in the west. These indicators are also quite approximate and depend on the time of year: the sun appears earlier or later. However, knowing this information can come in handy.

In order to learn how to navigate correctly, you need to have a good understanding of the cardinal directions. In addition, any method requires some training. Therefore, it is better to spend some time and gain a little experience in orienteering in advance.

Determining the cardinal directions

The most reliable way to determine your location relative to the cardinal points is a compass. Despite its simple design, many people do not know how to use it, although the procedure is quite simple. You just need to set the device's front sight to zero and keep the compass in a horizontal position. Now you need to release the magnetic needle brake and turn so that the northern part of the needle is at zero. Now you need to select a distant landmark, which will be located in the north. That's basically it. The opposite side will be south, the east will be on the right, and the west will be on the left.

But is it possible to determine the cardinal directions without a compass? Many of us have read interesting adventure novels by different authors, and remember the fascinating events described there. It was in these books that the main characters managed to determine the cardinal directions using the starry sky. Anyone can do this, as long as the night is clear and the stars are bright. First you need to find the constellation Ursa Major, which in outline resembles a ladle. Then you need to find the constellation Ursa Minor, also in the form of a smaller bucket. From the top star of the Big Dipper bucket, set aside a distance 5 times equal to the gap between the top of the bucket and the star at its base. If everything is done correctly, your gaze will fall on the polar star, which is the end of the handle of the Ursa Minor dipper. From it it is necessary to draw a hypothetical line to the ground, it will indicate the direction to the north.

Now let's learn about how to determine the cardinal directions in an apartment. Many people strive to arrange furniture and interior attributes of their homes according to certain rules, such as Feng Shui. To do this, you need to know exactly where north, south, east and west are. You can use a compass to determine the cardinal directions in your apartment. The fact is that the compass works the same almost anywhere on Earth, with the exception of anomalous magnetic zones. You can also determine the cardinal directions using a clock and the sun. To do this, you will need a regular watch with a circular dial and two hands, and, of course, sunny weather. The method works from 6 am to 6 pm. Position the clock so that its hour hand points to the sun. The angle between 12 o'clock and the hour hand must be mentally divided in half. This line will point south. Before 12 noon, the south is located to the right of the sun, after this time it is to the left. Here's how to determine the cardinal directions using a clock.

Also, the cardinal directions can be determined by many natural signs. This will come in handy in the forest:

• The north side of trees, stones, stumps, etc., is usually rich in moss and lichen.
• If the air temperature is high, trees such as spruce and pine actively secrete resin on their south side.
• If you are in the mountains, then it is best to pay attention to the composition of the trees. Spruce, fir, and beech grow on the northern side of the mountain. The southern slopes of the hill are rich in oak and pine trees.
• Tree mushrooms grow on the north side of trees.
• An anthill can tell a traveler about the location of the cardinal directions. On the south side it is flatter. From the north it is less flat. Ants also prefer to build their home on the south side of supporting objects (trees, bushes, stumps).

In cartography and geography, the concept of cardinal directions has long existed. They are necessary to determine directions on the ground and on the map, are used in construction, in transport, and help in other activities. How to determine where east is? Let's find out what the sides of the horizon are and how to navigate along them.

Main directions

In ancient times, man learned to determine his position on the ground, noticing that every day the Sun rises from the horizon in the east, and sets in the evening in the west. The ability to navigate helped our ancestors find their way home, hunt, and cultivate plants. The principle of dividing space into parts was an important stage in man's study of the surrounding world. The main cardinal directions received their current names in ancient times (north, south, west, east). Over time, instruments for observing the Sun and planets and measuring devices became more advanced. Scientists have found that the North and South geographic poles are two opposite points at which the surface of our planet is crossed by an imaginary line - the earth's axis.

Let's determine where is north, south, west, east?

The directions to the east and west are associated with one of the movements of the Earth - rotation around its axis. The sun appears from behind the horizon in the east in the morning, reaches its zenith in the afternoon, moves to the other side of the sky in the evening and sets in the west. There are differences in the position of the Sun at different latitudes due to the tilt of the earth's axis. At noon at the equator, the luminary is located directly overhead. In winter in the Northern Hemisphere it shifts to the south, in summer - to the north. In summer, the sunrise can be observed in the southwest, in winter - in the southeast. In polar and subpolar latitudes, the polar night lasts for six months; the sun does not rise above the horizon. And when the Sun does not set for six months of the year, it comes. In the northern region there is a magnetic pole, towards which the compass needle turns. On the opposite side of the planet is the southernmost continent - Antarctica. You can determine directions, if one of them is known, using a simple method. You need to stand so that your face is facing north. Then the south will be behind your back, the west will be on your left, and the east will be on your right.

The relative position of the main and intermediate sides of the horizon

There are main directions - north, south, west, east - which are supplemented by intermediate ones. This division is very convenient; it allows you to more accurately determine the location on the ground, find objects on maps and topographic plans. For example, northeast is the side of the horizon located between the direction of north and east. On maps, plans, dials, in textbooks, reference books, designations are introduced using the first letter of the Russian or Latin name. There is a more detailed division of the sides of the horizon. Thus, between the directions from and north to east there are north-northeast (neast) and east-northeast (east).

Cardinal directions on plans, maps and globe

In the old days, sailors and travelers were guided by maps, on which the north could be at the bottom and the south at the top. Knowledge about was imperfect, many geographers made mistakes when plotting objects on plans and maps. There were so-called “white spots” - unexplored areas. As a rule, on modern geographical plans and maps, north is at the top, south is at the bottom, west is on the left, and east is on the right.

The same principle was used to create the globe. Its upper half is the Northern Hemisphere, the lower half is the Southern Hemisphere. To the left of the prime meridian is the Western Hemisphere, to the right is the Eastern Hemisphere. The place where the ball is attached to the stand is the South Pole, the opposite point is the North Pole. It is easy to find any geographical object if its coordinates are known. North, south, west, east are the main directions, as well as on the globe. Continents, oceans, plains, mountains, seas, cities and other geographical objects that are located above the equator have a northern latitude, and below the 0° parallel have a southern latitude. Objects to the left of the prime meridian have western longitude, while those to the right have eastern longitude.

Compass is a device used to determine directions.

A device equipped with a two-color magnetic needle helps you find the sides of the horizon and navigate the terrain. It usually rotates freely in the center of the round body. The device used to determine directions is a compass. North, south, west, east are indicated by letters on the scale of this device. The red point facing the "C" or "N" mark indicates north. The opposite part of the arrow points south. To the left of this axis is west, to the right is east. Inside the compass there is a scale with numbers from 0 to 360°, arranged clockwise. The division price may vary from device to device. Using a compass allows you to:

A compass is necessary for representatives of many professions - sailors, pilots, military personnel, builders, geologists, as well as tourists and travelers. There are different types of this device that help you navigate along the lines of the Earth's magnetic field.

Directions on the ground (north, south, west, east)

You can determine your location by celestial bodies, natural phenomena and signs of nearby objects. At noon, when the Sun is in the south, shadows from vertically located objects are directed with their apex to the north. At night you need to try to find the North Star. The two extreme bright points of the Big Dipper, forming the wall of the Big Dipper, are called the Pointers. A straight line drawn through them rests directly on the North Star. It is located in the northern half of the sky and belongs to the constellation Ursa Minor.

A good helper for those who get lost is a wristwatch. To find out the direction, turn the arrow towards the Sun. An angle is formed between the line leading to the number 1 (13.00 hours), which is divided in half and a bisector is obtained (it points to the south). Orientation by local signs:

• on the northern side of the trees there is a thicker layer of lichens and mosses;
• drier soil under rocks facing south;
• In winter, on the north side the snow remains loose longer;
• anthills are more often located to the south of hills, trees, stones;
• the clearings that divide the forest into quarters are oriented from east to west and from north to south (their serial numbers are marked on pillars, starting from north-west and south-east).

Each method has an error, which must be taken into account on the ground. It is better to use several methods, then the result will be more accurate.