Determination of time by compass and sun. Determining the approximate time of the day by the shadow of a pole, a primitive sundial, determining the sides of the horizon by the clock on which the time is set by the Sun

The method of determining the direction north from the pole can also be used to determine the approximate time of day. Determining the time of day will be very important for scheduling an appointment. Carrying out a planned concerted action by individuals or groups. Determination of the remaining length of the day before dark, and so on.

Determining the approximate time of day from the shadow of the pole is as follows:

1. Move the pole to the point where the east-west and north-south lines intersect and place it vertically on the ground. Anywhere in the world, the western part of the line corresponds to 6:00 o'clock, and the eastern part to 18:00.

2. Now the North-South line becomes the noon line. The shadow of the pole is, as it were, the hour hand on a sundial. With it, you can determine the time. Depending on your location and time of year, the shadow can move either clockwise or counterclockwise. But this does not interfere with the definition of time.

3. A sundial is not a clock in the usual sense. The duration of the "hour" during the year is not the same for them. However, it is generally accepted that 6:00 always corresponds to sunrise and 18:00 to sunset.

However, a sundial is quite suitable for telling the time in the absence of a real one, or for setting or checking your wristwatch correctly. The designation 12.00 solar hours will always really correspond to noon. However, other indications of the hour hand compared to normal time differ slightly depending on the location and date.

Determining the sides of the horizon by the analog clock on which the time is set according to the Sun.

The method of determining the sides of the horizon can give erroneous readings. Especially at low latitudes, and this can lead to "circling". To avoid this, set your watch to the sun, and then determine the sides of the horizon from it. This method eliminates the 10-minute wait required to determine the sides of the horizon from the shadow.

During this time, you can get as many indicators as necessary in order to avoid "circling". After walking for about an hour in one direction, check the sundial. If necessary, rearrange the arrows.

Determining the horizon in this modified way, after setting the time of the wristwatch to the sun, will correspond to determining the north direction from the shadow of the pole. The degree of accuracy of both methods is the same.

Based on the book "SURVIVAL (Survival)".
Koleda S.I., Drachev P.N.

To get to the cozy corners of wild and unexplored nature, where you can find pristine peace and quiet, sometimes you need to go a long way. It is unlikely that in those places where a wide road has been drawn, it is worth laying a route in search of a relaxing holiday. To get to the desired goal and find the way back, you need to learn how to determine the direction (orientation) by the sun and stars.

On all four sides...

The main directions in geography are tied to the cardinal points. North and south are determined according to the poles of the Earth. East and West - in relation to the direction of rotation of the planet. Conventionally, on maps, north is at the top of the map, south is at the bottom, west and east are on the left and right, respectively. The principle of four directions was an important stage of mankind in the knowledge of the world around. On old maps, the southern direction was chosen as the main one, since it was easier to calculate by position. The approximate western and eastern directions were “calculated” by the method of orientation by the sun - at the place of sunset and sunrise.

With a person, they still use the principle of four sides - “left”, “right”, “front”, “rear”. This type of orientation is relative to the location of the person and the directions are not tied to the cardinal points.

compass orientation

If you have to navigate in the forest, the most reliable way is to use a compass. In order for its readings to be accurate, it must be kept away from electronic devices, metal objects and magnets. Before you navigate the terrain, you need to set the compass to a horizontal position and remove the stopper from the arrow. The arrow after a while will take the position "south-north", showing the northern direction with the red end. If you stand facing this direction, then the east will be on the right, and the west on the left. In order not to go astray, it is necessary to check the correctness of the chosen direction of your movement more often.

Orientation on the map

On geographic maps, special meridian lines are plotted, which are oriented "south-north". Therefore, before using the map, lay it horizontally on a flat surface, on one of the meridian lines. Or the second option - next to the right (or left) edge of the map we put a compass ready for work and orient the map so that the "south-north" lines on the map and the direction of the compass needle coincide. The card is ready to use.

Going on a trip, try to understand how to navigate the terrain without such useful devices.

Using the watch for orientation

If you have a compass or a GPS navigator, then this can greatly help you navigate in the forest. But these useful devices are not always available, unlike a watch with hands or a clock widget on a smartphone screen. For orientation, only the hour hand is enough. If there is an electronic clock or another way to determine the current time, then you can mentally imagine the clock and the direction of the big arrow of your virtual clock can be replaced with a finger. Next, your mental or real must be placed in a horizontal position.

Orientation by sun and clock

To determine the direction of the cardinal points, you can not use the clock, do it approximately, "by eye". But the result with the clock will be much more accurate. Orientation by the sun and the clock is based on the fact that the position of the sun during the day changes along a certain trajectory, and knowing at what time where it should be, we can determine the cardinal directions.

Determination of the south direction

At noon, the sun is almost always in the south. That is, if the hour hand is at 12 o'clock, it points to the sun standing at its zenith, then this is the south direction. This direction at noon serves as a kind of reference point, which we will use in the future for orientation by the sun. During the day, the daylight makes one complete circle in the sky. During this time, the hour hand runs two circles. This principle is the basis for determining the south direction at any daytime. The clock hand moves exactly twice as fast as the sun and moves at an angle half that of the sun. For example, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the hour hand moves at an angle equal to 90 degrees, and the sun deviates 45 degrees during this time. The south will remain at the same reference point. Therefore, if the bisector (middle of the angle) between the current position of the hour hand and the twelve o'clock mark is directed to the location of the sun, then the 12 o'clock indicator on the dial will almost exactly point to the south direction. This is the essence of orientation by the sun.

Features in determining the direction in the morning and evening

Orientation by the sun and the clock differs in the morning and evening by the direction of the angle of deviation from the twelve o'clock mark of the dial. Before noon, we look at the angle counterclockwise, in the afternoon - clockwise.

This method of determination is only suitable for local time. If your watch is standard time, then there will be a small error - up to 10 degrees. For a more accurate measurement, you need to check the compass in advance and see what position the sun is at noon, and then take into account this error. Taking it into account, the direction to the south will not be at the twelve o'clock mark, but will differ by a small angle.

Features in determining the direction at different times of the year

When using solar orientation methods, small differences between summer and winter time must be taken into account. Usually, in warm months, the reference point can have a shift of up to two hours, which also adds errors in measuring the direction to the south: in winter it can be located in the direction of 13 hours, and in summer - 14 hours. In winter, the sun rises in the southeast and sets in the southwest. In summer, sunrise will be in the northeast and sunset in the northwest. Sunrise exactly in the east and sunset in the west occur only on the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes and September 23, respectively). If you live in central Russia, then just remember that at about 8 o'clock in the morning the sun will be in the east, at two o'clock in the afternoon - in the south, at about 8 pm - in the west.

Determining direction by shadow

Experienced tourists often advise when orienting by the sun, especially in summer, not to look at a bright blinding star, but at the shadow of any vertically located object. At a time when the sun is exactly in the south, the shadow of any object will be the shortest and directed exactly to the north.

Determination of direction at night

The simplest method of determining the direction at night - finding the direction to the north using the North Star - seems to be known to anyone. You can find this one of the brightest stars as follows: try to find the “bucket” of the Ursa Major constellation familiar from childhood, identify the two extreme stars on its edges, and mentally set aside about five distances along the line between them. The difficulty is that the constellation at different times of the year and day can be deployed at different angles to the observer.

Determination of cardinal points by the moon

This method is based on the fact that the full moon is always in the south direction, and the degree of illumination depends on the position of the sun behind the observer - you. The moon is full - the sun is behind you, in the last quarter - the sun is on the left, etc.

If the moon is not completely illuminated, then you should mentally divide its disk into six parts and try to determine how many parts the sun illuminates. The same amount will be in hours between the directions to these two luminaries.

There is also the option of dividing the lunar disk into 12 parts. How many such smaller parts are illuminated by the sun, so many hours back or forward you need to set the clock and, taking the Moon for the Sun, determine the direction to the south in the same way as in the daytime.

There are many methods that can be used to determine the cardinal points and time from the shadow from the Sun. They are based on understanding how the Sun moves across the sky during the day and what direction the shadows of objects show at different times of the day, including at noon, morning and evening. Next, we will consider the most famous of them, which will allow the traveler to navigate when the means of navigation are lost or the watch breaks.

In the northern hemisphere, such a shadow at noon points north.

It is necessary not only to memorize the methods, but also to understand the mechanisms on which they are built. It is in this case that you can always adjust the method to the conditions in which the person finds himself. If this is not done, then in some cases such ignorance can lead to errors and an emergency.

So, for example, in many Internet articles and textbooks, a method of orientation by the hands of a mechanical watch and the Sun is given, which we will discuss in more detail later. However, almost nowhere is it said that specifically in this version it works only in the northern hemisphere, and even then above the tropical zone. If a person does not understand where the legs of this method come from, he can easily make a mistake and, once in the southern hemisphere, incorrectly determine the cardinal points, as a result of which he will get lost.

So, what is this basic knowledge, without which it will not work to determine the cardinal points by shadow?

Theoretical basis

All working methods for orienting by the shadow of the Sun are based on proven facts. Let's analyze them in more detail.

Fact number 1. The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. However, in high latitudes during the polar day, for several weeks it does not set below the horizon at all, and during the polar night it does not rise above the horizon.

Fact number 2. In the middle and high latitudes of the northern hemisphere at noon, the Sun is in a southerly direction, or, as they say, in the south. In the southern hemisphere, at the same distance from the equatorial line, the solar disk crosses the north direction at noon. At the equator at noon, the Sun is half a year in the north, half a year in the south, and two days a year it passes directly overhead. We discussed this in detail in a separate article.

Fact number 3. At astronomical noon, the shadow cast by vertically placed objects on a flat horizontal surface will be the shortest, since at this moment the Sun is at its zenith, that is, at the highest point of its trajectory in the celestial sphere.

Fact number 4. The sun moves across the sky at an angular velocity of approximately 15 degrees per hour.

Fact number 5. If you face north, then the south will be behind you, on the right - east, on the left - west.

Specifically, this scheme will only work in the northern hemisphere at medium and high latitudes.

Of course, you need to understand that it is not the Sun itself that rises in the east and moves across the sky, but such a visible movement is associated with the rotation of the Earth and the presence of an observer on its surface. But for simplicity, we will not talk about the rotation of the Earth, but about the movement of the Sun.

And now I propose to go directly to the methods of orientation by the shadow from the Sun.

How to determine cardinal points by shadow

So, as promised, let's look at some of the most popular methods.

Method number 1. By the shortest shadow from the pole. This method is based on the fact that shadows from objects are shortest at noon. So:

1. A pole is vertically stuck into a horizontal flat area.
2. Before noon, the end of the shadow cast by the pole is marked on the site.
3. Such notes are made at short intervals.
4. When the shadow begins to lengthen in the afternoon, all marks are connected by a smooth curve.
5. On the curve, find the point closest to the pole and mark it.
6. Draw a line from the pole to this point. This line corresponds to the north-south direction.
7. They stand on this line so that it is parallel to the feet connected together, and the morning marks are to the left. Now the north is in front of the person, the south is behind him, the east is on the right, and the west is on the left.

If from the moment of marking the first point the shadow began to lengthen, this means that noon has already passed, and you need to wait for the next morning to repeat everything again.

Most sun orientation methods will require additional alignments.

Method #2. With the help of the shadow from the pole in the center of the segment. This method is based on the fact that the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and the right side of the trajectory of its movement across the sky is a reflection of the left. For this method:

1. As in the previous method, a pole is vertically stuck into the platform.
2. In the morning, a mark is made on the site corresponding to the end of the shadow from the pole.
3. The length is measured from the pole to this mark.
4. Closer to lunchtime, the length of the shadow decreases, and then begins to grow again. The shadow is periodically measured. As soon as it becomes the same length as the morning one, make a second mark corresponding to the end of the shadow.
5. A straight line is drawn between the first mark and the second. This line corresponds to the east-west direction.
6. A person becomes so that the first mark is on his left, and the second on his right. Now we can say that in front of him is the north, behind him is the south, on the right is the east, and on the left is the west.

These two methods allow one to relatively accurately orient oneself by the shadow from the Sun at any point on the planet (except for regions near the poles and at the poles themselves) during daylight hours, but they require a lot of time, which makes them unsuitable for a person who needs to navigate along the way.

Method number 3. With the help of the shadow from the pole at two points. This method is based on the knowledge that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and the shadows of objects move from west to east, although not always in a straight line. To navigate this way:

1. As before, a pole is vertically stuck into a flat horizontal platform.
2. On the site with a stone, a peg or any other convenient way, the end of the shadow from the pole is marked.
3. Wait about 15 minutes and make a second mark corresponding to the end of the shadow from the pole.
4. Now, if you stand with your left foot on the first mark, and with your right foot on the second, we will have the north in front of us, the south behind, the east on the right, and the west on the left.

This method, like the previous ones, can be used anywhere in the world during daylight hours, but differs from them in its speed. However, this method has problems with accuracy.

The fact is that the shadow from the pole in most cases draws during the day not a straight line, but a curved one, while in relation to the position of the pole this line can be either concave or curved, depending on latitude and time of year. If you do not take into account these points, you can get a huge error, so I will give my recommendations that will allow you to use this method with maximum efficiency. There are only two recommendations.

Recommendation #1. It is best to use this method in March and September. It gives maximum accuracy throughout the day on the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, since it is on these days that the shadow "draws" a straight line. The further you move away from these days on the calendar, the greater the error will be.

Recommendation #2. It is better to navigate using this method in the middle of the day. On any day of the year, this method shows the best results at lunchtime. The farther from solar noon, the greater the error of the method. Moreover, the error can double if, for example, you orient yourself 3 hours before noon, and then repeat the measurements 3 hours after noon.

Method number 4. Orientation by shadow and clock. This method is based on the fact that at 12 noon the Sun in the northern hemisphere is approximately in the south, and in the southern hemisphere - in the north, at 6:00 - approximately in the east, and at 18:00 - approximately in the west. Accordingly, the shadow cast by a person falls in the opposite direction from the Sun.

So, for example, if at noon you turn your back to the Sun, then in the northern hemisphere the shadow will be directed to the north, in the southern hemisphere - to the south. If you turn your back to the Sun at 6 o'clock in the morning, then the shadow will point to the west, and if you do the same at 6 o'clock in the evening, then the shadow will be located in an east direction. Having thus determined one side of the world, then you can find all the others.

A typical pattern for the northern hemisphere.

If you have to navigate on the way, then there is no need to look for a flat area each time to stick a stick into it and wait a quarter of an hour after that. It is enough to orient yourself once, to understand which side the Sun is on and in the future to choose the path, relative to its position in the sky. For example, if turning in the right direction, a person sees the Sun on the right, then during the transition, he must keep it on the right. In this case, over time, you can make a correction for the speed of the Sun, and during the rest, specify the direction using the described method.

When applying this method, it is important to remember that in some countries the clocks are switched to summer time and that the Sun at noon in the region of the tropics and the equator can be both from the north side and from the south during the year, which we talked about in a separate article . In addition, in it we also talked about other effects that affect the position of the Sun at noon, and therefore negatively affect the accuracy of the described method.

Method number 5. Orientation by the shadow of a match and a mechanical clock with arrows. This method is described in some military textbooks and is based on the understanding that in the northern hemisphere the Sun moves clockwise across the sky at an angular velocity of 15 degrees per hour. In order to navigate this method in the northern hemisphere:

1. The clock is placed horizontally with the dial up.
2. A match is applied to the side of the clock perpendicular to the dial. It is applied between the hour hand of the watch and the number "12" on the dial. So, for example, if the clock shows 8:00, the match is located near the mark "10", if the clock shows 20:00, then near the mark "4".
3. The clock turns with the match until the shadow from the match crosses the center of the dial.
4. When the shadow of the match matches the center of the dial, the number "12" will show the approximate direction of south.

This method works well only when the Sun, passing its highest point, is not high above the horizon. The higher it is at noon, the more error this method will give.

The fact is that the speed of the projection of the Sun onto the horizon not only does not coincide with the angular velocity of the Sun, but also differs during the day. These differences are greater, the higher the solar zenith.

That is why this method of orientation is best used in high latitudes. In mid-latitudes, it is better to use it in the winter season, when the Sun is at a low altitude above the horizon. In the tropics and at the equator, this method is usually not used, since here the Sun is high above the horizon at any time of the year, which means that the errors will be very large.

In this method, as in the previous one, you should take into account the change of clocks for daylight saving time. Other nuances are usually not taken into account, since the method still gives a fairly large error and is intended primarily for an approximate finding of the cardinal points.

In principle, you can slightly reduce the error by raising the edge of the dial, on which the number "12" is applied, at an angle equal to the difference of 90 degrees and the latitude of the area in which the person is located. For example, for a latitude of 35 degrees, the watch needs to be raised to an angle of 55 degrees. But, as my practice has shown, in some situations such an inclination not only does not reduce the error, but also increases it, since it is already difficult to position the match exactly perpendicular to the dial, holding it with your fingers, what can we say about the option with the inclination of the dial. But, among other things, the result of orientation will depend on the accuracy of the installation of the match.

In the southern hemisphere, this method needs to be changed, otherwise it will show results far from the truth. Personally, in this case, I imagine a dial with numbers located counterclockwise. Accordingly, if the clock is 10 o'clock in the morning, I imagine the hour hand pointing to the number "2", if the clock is 16:00, then I imagine the hand pointing to "8". Then I proceed as described in the method, but focusing not on a real arrow, but on an imaginary one.

This method is good for approximating the cardinal directions and usually gives the largest errors compared to the methods discussed earlier. But unlike them, it allows you to orient yourself within ten seconds, which is very practical and allows you to determine the cardinal directions almost on the go.

How to tell time by shadow

Shadow timing methods are based on the same knowledge as orientation methods.

The sundial is one of the most ancient instruments that allows you to determine the time of day by the direction of the shadow.

There are many ways to tell time from the shadow cast by an object that the sun is shining on. We will analyze some of them, but before that, we note that in these methods, in order to improve accuracy, it is necessary to take into account the factors that affect the discrepancy between astronomical and "terrestrial" time.

Method number 1. By the shortest shadow. On a flat horizontal platform, a vertically placed flat object, such as a dug-in pole, will cast its shortest shadow at 12 noon.

Method #2. East and West. The shadow will "point" west at about 6 am and east at about 6 pm. This method is the more accurate the closer the day on which you are trying to determine the time to the date of the spring or autumn equinox.

Method number 3. North and south. The solar disk will cross the north or south direction (depending on the hemisphere, and in the tropics and at the equator - on the time of year) at 12 noon.

Separately, you need to tell about the Arctic. In the northern hemisphere during the polar day, the Sun will cross the south direction at 12 noon, but it can also cross the north direction without dropping below the horizon, which will correspond to 12 noon. In the southern hemisphere, the opposite is true: the Sun will pass through the north at noon, through the south at midnight.

Method number 4. By shadow corner. This method determines the angle between the shortest shadow of a pole stuck in the ground, which corresponds to solar noon, and the shadow at a given time. This angle is divided by the speed of the Sun in the sky - time is obtained. If the shadow is to the west, that is, noon has not yet arrived, then the resulting time is subtracted from 12 noon, if to the east, then it is added to 12 noon.

For example, at the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere, the shadow currently points to the northwest, and the angle with the north direction (the direction of the shortest shadow) is 30 degrees. We know that the sun's shadow moves from west to east at an average speed of 15 degrees per hour, and also that at 12 noon the shadow should point north. From all this, we calculate how long the shadow will point to the north: 30/15 = 2 hours. This means that there are still 2 hours left until 12 o'clock in the afternoon, which means that the clock at this moment of time is 12–2 = 10 o'clock in the morning.

The latter method works well at high latitudes (best during the polar day near the poles), while near the equator it gives very large errors and is not recommended. However, of all the methods described earlier, this one allows you to determine the time not only at 6 am, 6 pm and noon, but at any time in the middle of the day.

Of course, one sunny day can be spent making a primitive "disposable" sundial by sticking a stick in the ground and making marks at the end of the shadow every hour. Such clocks will show a fairly accurate time for several weeks after, until the solar zenith shifts vertically by a considerable distance. But this method will require an extra day and normal hours, which makes a little sense. What's the point of making a sundial when there's an ordinary one?

In fact, there are much more ways to navigate and determine time by shadow, but it makes no sense to describe them all. Today I only tried to highlight the essence of these methods, the mechanisms underlying them, and demonstrate all this using popular methods. Understanding these mechanisms, everyone will be able not only to use the methods described and check the performance of the methods found in various sources, but also to come up with their own, convenient in a given situation.

If we talk about the mentioned methods, then it will not be possible to choose the best one: each of the methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is so important to use them all, choosing the best one for the prevailing conditions.

An interesting video: and another way to determine the time without a clock ...

Without a watch it is quite difficult and not everyone can do it. Most often, if a person forgot his watch at home, and the mobile phone could be discharged, a slight excitement begins. Because we can't have 100% time. There are many options for how to determine the time without a clock. From the school bench, we are taught these rules, and each person should be at least a little versed in the methods of determining the time.

Through the sky and the horizon

If you are going on a hiking trip or just take a break from modern technology, then you will need to remember the lessons of geography. Most often we are guided by the sky, but only if it is not overcast.

If you want to know the approximate time without a clock, then you need to choose a place from which the sun will be clearly visible. After you need to look around. If there are a lot of trees around and they block the view of the sun, you should move to another (freer) place. For a correct assessment, you need to see a clear horizon line. It must be remembered that if the sun covers the clouds, then the time estimate will not be accurate. Next, we need our hand, or rather the palm. It must be aligned with the horizon line. It is necessary to position the little finger so that it coincides with the line. For a more accurate result, an effort should be made so that the palm is in one place. Any hand can be used. But the right one is better, as it is the leading one for most people.

Further, the thumb is recommended to be bent inside the palm. This action is necessary so that during the definition it simply does not interfere. Then the second palm must be placed above the other in a straightened form. And so perform these actions until the upper palm reaches the height of the sun. It should reach its lower edge, but not go beyond it. When one palm is placed on the other, it is necessary to count the number of fingers. When the upper hand reaches the lower edge of the sun, you need to count how many fingers fit between the sun and the horizon line. It is recommended to take each fifteen minutes. The resulting number should be multiplied by the number fifteen.

This is how we know the exact time. In terms of information content, this method is not entirely accurate, since the fingers have different thicknesses. You can only find out the approximate time.

Determined by the sun

It has always been interesting to unravel the history of our ancestors and in particular how time was determined without a clock before. Approximately it could be done by the sun. It is this principle that formed the basis of the sundial. The arrow was the shadow of a gnomon.

Such watches had many shortcomings, and the most important was, of course, the wrong indicator of time and its determination only when the sun was shining brightly and there were no clouds in the sky.

Determining time by stars, animals and flowers

Another method is stargazing. They could accurately show the time. Stars have a certain cycle. With their help, in ancient times they could determine the day of the year. Also earlier, the ancient inhabitants observed plants and animals. They were used to determine the time of year. For example, flowers of plants open and close at certain times. Some types of flowers opened in the morning, and they closed in the evening.

Based on these principles, in ancient times they determined the time of year and day. Also, the singing of birds helped a person to know the time, since, for example, larks began to sing at two in the morning. Everyone knows that rooster crowing most often occurs in the morning. Therefore, with the help of this bird, it was determined that morning had come. For the villagers, the rooster was considered the main "determinant". With his cry, people got up early and kneaded the dough. For residents in antiquity, there was no question of how to determine the time, they were prompted by nature itself. And that was the highest for them.

With a compass

How can you tell the time of day without a clock? So, our precious time cannot be seen or touched. But it still exists and all the events in the world around us pass us by. Time is always in motion. It cannot be turned back, stopped or delayed. At school (starting from primary school) we are taught not only the sciences, but also the knowledge necessary in life. First-graders are taught to spend time correctly and competently. Older children should not only understand it, but also be able to navigate without it.

So, for example, how to determine the time without a clock in the 5th grade? Children should be able to use a compass. The determination process with this device must be performed in clear weather. Place the compass on a flat surface, determine the direction of the north, set the arrow so that it points to the north and the number 180 degrees. Place a match in the center of the device. Now look where the shadow falls. If it points to 180 degrees, then it means that it is exactly 12 noon. If it's 90, then it's six in the morning. And so on you can deal with such peculiar hours. It turns out that an hour of time is equal to fifteen degrees on the compass. So, we can easily get the current time.

Often they take a compass on hikes, for fear of getting lost and confused in time. A compass is essential for this journey. He helped out in many situations and even helped to survive if you got lost. Therefore, in geography lessons for schoolchildren, this topic is necessarily introduced and fixed with special tests. And every child must know these rules so that in an unforeseen situation he can use the ability to determine the time without a clock.

Objects and shadows help tell the time

How can you tell time without a clock? A sundial, although not too accurate to show the time, but sometimes they only save. For example, if a person is at home, then he often notices at what time and where you can see the sun. You can also observe the shadows of objects that are always in their places. It can be a tree, a pole or a wall. These objects will be the hours pointed by the sun. On them you can track the time, if you carefully observe the shadow. Everything is done quite simply.

Therefore, time is the main companion throughout our lives. Many proverbs were invented about him. It cannot be touched, and some are trying to look into the future and find out what will happen next. Time changes us and other people replace us, it's just inevitable. The most beautiful definition of time without a clock is the singing of birds. Each of them begins their singing at a certain hour. In the distant past, time was counted in this way, and it was especially popular in the villages. The inhabitants woke up with the crow of a rooster. Then they started doing their own thing. The rooster crowed three times. His first cry was heard at two in the morning. He was alert. The next one is in two hours. This meant the final rise. Then people started doing business. It is always nice to wake up to the sounds of wildlife and enjoy the day ahead.

From the school bench, we are taught to determine the time and appreciate every minute of our lives. Sometimes time lasts a very long time, mostly when we are bored. And on the weekends or during a fun lesson, we don’t have time to follow him.

When, to whom and under what conditions will knowledge be useful?

Now it’s clear how to find out the time without a clock. As you can see, there are a lot of options. Of course, in our time, if you forgot or even lost your watch, and the mobile phone does not work, then you can ask passers-by.

Therefore, the old methods are considered ridiculous to us. And we will not follow the stars, tell the time from the shadows. And if such a situation happens on a camping trip and we simply have no choice, then this knowledge is simply necessary. It is important to take a compass with you for long journeys. It will not only help determine the path, but also tell you the right time. And the sundial in this case will become simply necessary. Then by the shadow you can find out the exact time. Therefore, for long trips, it is worth carefully studying all the possible difficulties that may arise there.

Finally

Now you know how you can determine the time. As you can see, there are several options. Choose the right one for you. We hope our tips help you! Good luck!

How to determine the time by the sun

Determining the time by the sun in a certain situation can help you out, for example, you will know the exact time if you forgot your watch at home and do not miss the bus or train. The method of determining time by the sun is useful not only for travelers and summer residents, but also for all other people who do not have watches. There are different ways to determine the time by the sun, in fact, we will tell you about them today.

HOW TO KNOW THE TIME FROM THE SUN IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE OF THE EARTH

So, to determine the time by the sun, you will need to make (make) the simplest sundial. To do this, you need to determine the exact direction of the cardinal points, a thin stick and the sun. The easiest way to tell time from the sun is to make a sundial out of a compass and a match.

HOW TO DETERMINE THE TIME BY THE SUN WITH A MATCH AND A COMPASS: Set the compass on a flat surface, then accurately determine the direction of the cardinal direction NORTH, set the compass dial so that the compass needle points to the north and compass number 180 degrees azimuth. Place a match exactly on the center of the compass. Everything, the sundial is ready. Now, in order to determine the time from the sun and the given sundial, you need to look at where the shadow of the match falls. It turns out that if the shadow indicates 180 degrees on the dial, this is equal to 12 o'clock in the afternoon, if it points to 270 degrees, then this equals 18 o'clock, and 90 degrees equals 6 am. It turns out that one hour of time is equal to 15 degrees on the compass. With this definition of time by the sun, it is necessary that the sun shines directly on the compass and match.

HOW TO MAKE A PROFESSIONAL SUNDIAL A: In this case, it will take a little more effort. We will not tell you how to carve a sundial out of wood, since no one will spend time on it on a hike, but we will tell you how to make a sundial on the sand or on the ground and determine the time with the help of the sun. So, for example, you are fishing on the river bank, and you periodically need to know the time, but you don’t want to constantly get the compass and carry out the above manipulations. To do this, you can make a professional sundial on sand or earth, for which you need to draw on the ground a kind of compass with a degree scale (the figure should point strictly to the north with the number 180) and put a long stick in the center, from which a shadow will fall by degrees, and show time. And even in place of degrees you can write the numbers of time. The sun will move across the horizon, the shadow will move, and you will always determine and know the time.

All other methods will not give you an accurate determination of time by the sun, for example, you cannot determine the exact time by sunrise and sunset, since not everyone can know what time sunrise and sunset occur, because it varies depending on the month of the year.

HOW TO KNOW THE TIME FROM THE SUN IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OF THE EARTH

In the southern hemisphere of the earth, the time is recognized by the sun and the compass in the same way as in the northern hemisphere, except that the compass needle should not point north, but south.

HOW TO KNOW THE TIME FROM THE SUN AT THE EQUATOR

At the equator, the sun passes exactly above the horizon, so you don’t need to know the direction of the north, and to determine the time from the sun, you need to make the same clock as in the first case, but only place them not horizontally, but vertically.

SUNDIAL ERROR

You must remember that you will determine the physical time using the methods described above, but it may differ from the actual time in your region. So, for example, Moscow actual time is 12:00, at the same minute, according to the law of Russia, the actual time in Kazan is 12:00, but the physical time determined by the sun in Kazan is 13:00, since the distance between Moscow and Kazan equals approximately one geographic time zone, and if you take into account the transition to summer and winter time, then the difference can be 2 hours. Therefore, make a sundial, compare it with the actual time and make adjustments. Thus, for the future, you will know how to make an amendment when determining the time using a sundial.

Legendary Thirty, route

Through the mountains to the sea with a light backpack. Route 30 passes through the famous Fisht - this is one of the most grandiose and significant natural monuments in Russia, the highest mountains closest to Moscow. Tourists travel lightly through all the landscape and climatic zones of the country from the foothills to the subtropics, spending the night in shelters.