Ask a Prepper
  • DIY |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Contact
ask a prepper survival every day
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Survival Knowledge
  • How To’s
  • Store
  • About Claude Davis
  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Survival Knowledge
  • How To’s
  • Store
  • About Claude Davis
No Result
View All Result
Menu
Ask a Prepper
Search
No Result
View All Result
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Home All Articles
How to find the North Star

How to find the North Star

How to Find the North Star in Less Than One Minute

Claude Nelson by Claude Nelson
November 3, 2015
2

Knowing how to find the North Star is one of the most basic survival skills.

This skill is important because the axis of Earth is pointed almost directly at it. During the course of the night, the North Star does not rise or set, but remains in very nearly the same spot above the northern horizon year-round while the other stars circle around it (actually the Earth’s spin gives us this perspective). If you were at the North Pole, the North Star would be directly over your head. The picture above is NOT edited in any way. it just has a long exposure (45 minutes)… so you can see the stars moving and in the middle: The North Star!

Because the North Star is known to stay fixed, always visible in a clear night sky (from the northern hemisphere) and always pointing north, our ancestors used it for thousands of years as a guiding star both on land and sea. Finding the North Star was one of the basic skills all navigators and travelers knew and used on a regular basis; a skill that has been forgotten by the masses since the invention of compass. But unlike the compass, the North Star always points to to TRUE NORTH. There is no magnetic declination to deal with.

Related: 24 Lost Survival Tips from 100 Years Ago

The North Star as we call it today is actually named POLARIS (by astronomers) and, surprisingly, it wasn’t always The North Star and it won’t always be:

“Thousands of years ago, when the pyramids were rising from the sands of ancient Egypt, the North Star was an inconspicuous star called Thuban in the constellation Draco the Dragon. Twelve thousand years from now, the blue-white star Vega in the constellation Lyra will be a much brighter North Star than our current Polaris. … So when you’re talking about stars “moving” or staying “fixed,” remember … they are all moving through the vastness of space. It’s just the relatively short time of a human lifespan that prevents us from seeing this grand motion.” (Source)

One of the easiest ways to find Polaris is by using the group of stars known as the Big Dipper or the Little Dipper.

So you can go outside tonight (or now if it’s already night) and try to find one of them first. The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper are actually the only groups of stars I know how to find. But I’ve known this since I was a little kid. It’s very easy.

If you find the Big Dipper first, locate the two stars Dubhe and Merak in the outer part of the Big Dipper’s bowl (see picture). Simply draw an imaginary line from Merak through Dubhe, and go about 5 times this distance to find Polaris.

If you find the Little Dipper first, Polaris is the last star in the handle of the Little Dipper.

North Star pointers

After you find the star, stretch your arms sideways while facing it:

  • In front of you is the True North
  • Behind you is South
  • Your right hand points due East
  • Your left hand points due West

Another interesting fact about Polaris is that it isn’t just one star. What we call The North Star (or Polaris) is a system comprised of 3 stars: a super-giant and two smaller companions. But because of the huge distance and because the super-giant is one of the brightest stars in the night sky (50th) we see it as one star with the naked eye.

You may also like:

7 Actions to Take Immediately Following an EMP Strike

This Could Kick-Start WW3 (Video)

30 Lost Ways of Survival from 1880 We Should all Learn

The Most Important Prophecy that is Encrypted Inside our Holy Bible (Video)

Image credits: Earth Sky

Tags: How tosurvival
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
ShareTweetPin2

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions Terms & Conditions.

FOLLOW US ON:

PREPPER RECOMMENDS

IF YOU SEE THIS PLANT IN YOUR BACKYARD BURN IT IMMEDIATELY

ENGINEERS CALL THIS “THE SOLAR PANEL KILLER”

HOW TO MAKE A “YEAR ROUND SELF SUSTAINING GREENHOUSE”

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR POUR HONEY OVER MEAT

YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE AN EMP STRIKE WITHOUT THIS

HOW TO BUILD AN INVISIBLE ROOT CELLAR IN YOUR BACKYARD

Banner Generator

LATEST ARTICLES

The Best Over The Counter Drugs You Should Hoard

The Ultimate DIY Bunker Kit

Why Is FEMA Tracking Down Preppers? This Is How They Prepare For A Food Crisis

No Grid Survival Projects: Book Review

Could An EMP Be Putin’s Revenge Against America?

9 Ham Radios Myths

The Plant Doctors Are Begging People To Grow

50 Prepping Items You Can Buy From The Thrift Shop

How To Preserve Foods In Honey

Best States For Looters. Do You Live In One Of Them?

18 Dangerous Health Mistakes To Avoid When SHTF

5 Instant Dry Soup Mixes Every Prepper Should Have In Their Food Storage

Aquaponics: Build Your Own Endless Food Supply At Home For SHTF

11 Hacker Tips To Keep Your Phone From Tracking You

DIY Tin Oil Lamp In Case Of A Power Outage

12 Native American Remedies That We Lost To History

Things You Should Never Say To A Prepper

11 Everyday Items You Shouldn’t Carry From Now On

DIY Survival Jar

Why You Should Put A Coin In A Cup Of Frozen Water In Your Freezer

8+ Devices That Will Survive An EMP

Rich In Iodine: 5 Foods That Help Manage Radiation Effects

11 Dangerous Plants You Should Never Have In Your Backyard

Banner Bor

Banner TLW2

Banner Bor

The Lost Ways Claude Davis

HOW TO

How to Build an Endless Hot Water System (Without Electricity)

How To Build An Electricity Free Fridge

How To Make A Long Lasting Pork Rillette (With Pictures)

How To Make The Long-Lasting Native American’s Wojapi Sauce

How To Make Pine Bark Bread

How To Dig A Native American Dakota Fire Hole

How To Repurpose Old Items Into New Projects For Your Backyard

How To Make A Black Drawing Salve For When SHTF

How To Build The Poor Man’s Faraday Cage

How To Grind Cattails And Make Bread

Vote for ask a Prepper

YOU CAN ALSO FIND US ON:

Survial Websites Prepper

Copyright © 2022 Ask a Prepper

  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Ask a Prepper
  • About Claude Davis
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 Ask a Prepper

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.