3 Ways to Find the North Star

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3 Ways to Find the North Star
3 Ways to Find the North Star

Video: 3 Ways to Find the North Star

Video: 3 Ways to Find the North Star
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The North Star, better known as Polaris, is often used by campers as a “compass” to find north when they are lost. There are those who try to find it just for fun when they're watching the stars. The best known way to find it is based on the neighboring constellations that appear in the night sky. Since most of the necessary constellations are in the northern part of the sky, you'll need to find out where it is. When you don't have a compass, nature's signs can help you find it. NOTE: The following methods will work for anyone in the Northern Hemisphere; in the southern hemisphere, although it is somewhat difficult, it is only possible to see it in specific places.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Using the Constellations

Find the North Star Step 1
Find the North Star Step 1

Step 1. Use the star pointers of the Big Car

It's one of the easiest ways to find Polaris. The Big Car has stars known as "pointers", which point almost directly to the North Star.

  • The first thing to do is locate the Great Car, which is made up of seven stars (the brightest in the constellation Ursa Major). It is to the north, and in spring and summer it appears high in the sky; in autumn and winter, he will be in the lowest part of the sky.
  • The name “Big Car” comes from the shape of the constellation, which looks like a drawing of a car (in some versions, it refers to a bowl with a handle). Here is the formation: four stars form a trapezoid design (which would be the car); the other three stars form the curved “cable” that comes out of the car.
  • Once you find the Big Car, you can use it to find the North Star. In this sense, look for the two bright stars that form the right side of the Car (the part farthest from the tip of the “cable”). These two stars are the tips and you must draw an imaginary line connecting them. After connecting them, extend the line four or five times the distance between the tips. Shortly thereafter, you'll come to a rather bright star: the North Star.
Find the North Star Step 2
Find the North Star Step 2

Step 2. Find the tip of the Ursa Minor's tail

The North Star is part of Ursa Minor and is located at the tip of the tail of this constellation. Did you find Ursa Minor? In that case, it will be easy to find Polaris.

  • It is possible to use Ursa Major to find Ursa Minor. When you find the Big Dipper, look just above it. Ursa Minor will appear as a mirror copy of Ursa Major, as it is also made up of seven stars: four make up the trapezoid base and three extend from that base to form a tail. The last star in the tail, the tip, is the North Star.
  • It can get trickier to find Ursa Minor in urban areas. In that case, it's better to try another method.
Find the North Star Step 3
Find the North Star Step 3

Step 3. Follow the arrow of the constellation Cassiopeia

As seen in the previous Steps, the most common ways to find the North Star is to look for the Ursa Major or the Ursa Minor. However, it will be difficult to find Polaris when Ursa Major is in the lower part of the sky. Fortunately, there is an alternative: use the constellation Cassiopeia.

  • Cassiopeia is formed by five stars, drawing a kind of "M" or "W", and is located in the northern sky. In the early morning hours, the constellation appears as an “M”; between midnight and dawn, it's more of a “W”. In February and March, Cassiopeia will most likely appear as a "W".
  • The three stars that form the center of "M" or "W" can be used to locate the North Star. Look at these "letters" as if they were an arrow and go forward from its direction. At some point, you will come across a star with a certain brightness, the North Star.

Method 2 of 3: Using technology

Find the North Star Step 4
Find the North Star Step 4

Step 1. Locate the North Star with your cell phone

There are several applications that simulate the work of a telescope. Just set your location, or let the phone track your position, and point it at the sky. The smartphone acts as an interactive map, identifying stars and constellations. Some apps can generate accurate images, making the stars more visible.

  • Sky Guide is an iPhone app. It is able to track your location and current time. Hold your phone pointed at the sky and it will generate a map, which can identify constellations and stars.
  • Stellarium Mobile is an Android app. With it, you'll also be able to see the stars and constellations better. It works the same as Sky Guide, but has a slightly higher resolution.
Find the North Star Step 5
Find the North Star Step 5

Step 2. Purchase a star atlas

Star atlases have been used for a long time. When you think using a cell phone to see the stars spoils the game, buy the atlas. It is also important to always carry an atlas with you if your cell phone runs out of battery. The Star Atlas is a book that divides the night sky by region and time of year. You can use the charts and sky charts that accompany the atlas to locate the North Star on any given night.

  • All star atlases are a little different from each other. There is always a guide on the back that provides information on how constellations are identified. Example: smaller stars can be identified by dots; larger ones, such as Polaris, can be marked by large red dots.
  • The star atlas will have a map, probably of a small or large city, that will guide you through the night sky on any given day at night. Choose the map for the region and time of year you are in and use it as a guide. Carry a flashlight so you can see the map when it's too dark to see with the naked eye.
  • Learn how to use the atlas before you go camping, as it can take some time to interpret it well. It is very important to train a lot, because if you need to find the North Star, you will be well prepared to use the atlas.
Find the North Star Step 6
Find the North Star Step 6

Step 3. Make a plan on the computer

You can use programs to find out what the sky will be like at night when you do the observation – something useful in terms of planning. This way, you go into the field with a notion of where you can find the North Star.

  • In addition to mobile, Stellarium is also available for PC (Linux, Mac and Windows) and you can download it to find the North Star. The wallpaper will be the night sky adjusted to your region and time of year. The program will also show you what the sky will look like the night you plan to observe it. Don't worry: it'll be easy to know where to look when you go out on the street.
  • Do you use a Mac? There is a program called PhotoPills, which is used to plan photo sessions. You can use it if you're thinking about shooting the night sky. Based on the location and time of year, PhotoPills will simulate the galactic arc, where a map will be formed that you can use later to find what you are looking for.

Method 3 of 3: Finding North

Find the North Star Step 7
Find the North Star Step 7

Step 1. Find North using two chopsticks

It will be difficult to find the constellations when you don't know which direction you are looking, and it will be even harder to see the North Star. Finding out where the north is will make the task easier. One method is to use two simple chopsticks. See how to do it:

  • First find the two chopsticks. One of them must be a little bigger than the other.
  • Stick them in the ground vertically, placing the larger one a little ahead of the smaller one.
  • Lie down in front of them. Then align one eye to form a straight line between the eye and the two chopsticks, waiting for a star to appear in your line of vision.
  • Look at the star for a few minutes and wait for it to move. From there, follow these coordinates: if it goes up, you're looking east; if it goes down, you are looking west; to the right is the south; and to the left is north.
Find the North Star Step 8
Find the North Star Step 8

Step 2. Create a shadow with the chopsticks

It's even possible to see the North Star in daylight, but you won't be able to see the constellations as the light makes identification very difficult. In this case, you can locate the North by creating a shadow with the chopsticks.

  • Stick one of them in the ground, pick up a rock, or other object, and place it where the shadow's edge ends.
  • Wait from half an hour to an hour. The shadow will move and can get bigger or smaller. Place another stone at the end of the new shadow and stand at a 90° angle to the shadow. In your current position, you will be looking north.
Find the North Star Step 9
Find the North Star Step 9

Step 3. Pay attention to the growth of the moss

If you are in a location where the incidence of moss, you can use it to try to find North. Look for moss on vertical structures such as trees. In terms, moss needs moisture to grow. In other words, moss usually grows in the northern part of vertical structures, as the northern part receives less sun.

Tips

  • Make sure you can see all the stars in Ursa Major before trying to find the North Star.
  • Remember that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, with north always to the right of west. So wherever the sun sets, look to the right of it to point north.

Notices

  • As stated in the introduction, it can be very difficult to find the North Star if you are in the southern hemisphere or near the Equator.
  • When you see only a single star, whether near dawn or dusk, it might be the planet Venus, better known as "The Morning Star" or "The Evening Star" depending on the time of year.

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