GPS runs out of batteries. Compasses break. The stars, however, have guided travelers for millennia. In the Northern Hemisphere, finding North is surprisingly simple if you know what to look for.
Finding Polaris (The North Star)
Polaris is unique because it sits almost directly above the North Pole. While other stars circle across the sky, Polaris remains fixed.
- Find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major). It looks like a giant ladle.
- Locate the two stars that form the outer edge of the ladle's cup (called the "Pointer Stars").
- Draw an imaginary line from the bottom pointer star through the top pointer star.
- Extend that line about 5 times the distance between the pointers.
- You will hit a moderately bright star. That is Polaris. It is the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper.
Southern Hemisphere?
If you are south of the equator, you cannot see Polaris. Instead, look for the Southern Cross (Crux). Extend the long axis of the cross about 4.5 times to find an imaginary point called the South Celestial Pole.