TRUE NORTH QUERY

[Frank Donovan]

Hi Mick!

There are many quick and dirty ways!

- Determine true South, and true north is exactly opposite...  (pardon my
plagiarism...)

- Use a compass, determining the declination ("offset") from a USGS
topographic map.

- From your local newspaper - or your PacketCluster Node - determine your
local sunrise and sunset times.  Local noon is exactly halfway between
those two times.  The shadow cast by your tower or any other object
at local noon points at true north

- Locate Polaris (the North star).  The last two stars in the "dipper"
(not the handle) of the Big Dipper point at the north star.  The distance
between the last two start in the Big Dipper is about 1/5 the distance to
the north star.  Pardon my poor graphics, but this media has its limits...

                                        North
                                        Star
                                          ^
                                          |
                                          |
                                          |
                                          |
                                          |
                          X               |
                            
                 X              X         X 

                      

           X                    X         X


      X



73!
Frank
W3LPL
donovanf@sgate.com


On Mon, 6 Jan 1997, M. Gray Brafford wrote:

> Anyone know a quick and dirty way of locating true North? 

> Mick...W4YV


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