Guide · Navigation

Finding north with the stars

On a clear night, the stars can give you a more accurate direction than the sun. Which stars you use depends on whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere.

Northern hemisphere: the Pole Star

The Pole Star, also called Polaris, sits almost exactly above the North Pole. Face it and you are facing north. It isn't especially bright, so find it using other stars.

1. Find the Plough, also called the Big Dipper: seven bright stars shaped like a saucepan with a long handle.
2. Find the two stars that form the outer edge of the pan, away from the handle. These are the "pointers".
3. Follow the line from the bottom pointer through the top one, about five times the gap between them.
4. The fairly bright star you reach on its own is the Pole Star.

If the Plough is low or hidden, look for Cassiopeia, a W or M shape on the opposite side of the Pole Star. The Pole Star lies roughly in line with the middle of the W, at about the same distance as the Plough on the other side.

Southern hemisphere: the Southern Cross

There is no bright star over the South Pole, so you work out the spot in the sky instead.

1. Find the Southern Cross: four bright stars in a kite or cross shape. Don't confuse it with the larger, dimmer "false cross" nearby. The true cross has two very bright "pointer stars" close beside it.
2. Imagine a line along the long axis of the cross, from the top star through the foot.
3. Extend that line about four and a half times the length of the cross.
4. For more accuracy, draw an imaginary line at right angles from the middle of the two pointer stars. Where it crosses your first line is close to the south celestial pole.
5. Drop straight down from that point to the horizon. That direction is south.

Anywhere: rising and setting stars

Stars rise in the east and set in the west, just like the sun. Orion's belt rises close to due east and sets close to due west, and Orion can be seen from both hemispheres.

To check movement, line a star up with the top of a fixed stick or a tree and watch it for 15 minutes:

• Rising: you are facing roughly east.
• Sinking: you are facing roughly west.

Tips

• Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes in the dark to see faint stars. Use a red light if you need to look at a map.
• Once you have north, pick a landmark on the horizon to walk towards, or mark the direction on the ground with sticks to use at first light.
• Clouds can hide key stars. Don't guess — wait for a clearer patch.

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