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Directions by Day - Shadow Stick

Page history last edited by Jason 9 years, 3 months ago

For this approach, remember that when the sun casts shadows, those shadows are in the opposite direction as its position in the sky. That means when the sun is in the eastern sky, its shadows will point toward the west.  It is less accurate than the Directions by Day - Equal Length Shadow method and moreso the closer to the equator you are, however, it takes much longer and is generally accurate enough to get you oriented in a needed direction. 

 

  • Grab a stick, preferably about a yard (1 meter) high, and stab it in the ground in a sunny area so that you can see its shadow.
  • Use a rock or other sharp object and mark the tip of that shadow on the ground.  Since the sun's shadows move from west to east during the day, this first point stands for west.
  •  Wait 15 minutes or so, then mark where the stick's shadow has moved.  Now you should have two spots in the dirt: The first spot represents the west and the second spot represents the east.
  • Draw a line between those two spots, you have a general idea of your east-west line.
  • From there, draw your north-south line at a 90-degree angle to the east-west line.

 

 

 

 


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