How to find direction via North Star

[Man Jaanbazam]

How to find direction via North Star

Step 1: Locate the Big Dipper - (Ursa Major)
The first step is to find the constellation of Ursa Major, commonly known as the Big Dipper. It is perhaps the most easily recognizable constellation in the night sky, and looks like a large spoon or perhaps a wheel barrow.

It is composed of seven bright stars - three in the handle and four in the head of the spoon.





Step 2: Trace a line to the North Star
Next, imagine the line connecting the two front stars of the Big Dipper, which I've marked in red. If you continue this line off to the upper right, the first bright star you come to is Polaris, the North Star.


Step 3: Checking that it really is the North Star

But with the North Star being such an important and useful star, you want to be sure you've got the right one. After all, there are a lot of stars up there, and they do all look pretty similar.

Luckily, not only is Polaris in line with two stars from the Big Dipper, it is in fact a part of the Little Dipper itself, which makes it easy to check if you're looking at the right star. Like the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) is composed of seven stars, three in the handle and four in the head of the spoon (marked in red). The Little Dipper floats above its bigger brother, and is angled as if it were pouring water into the larger spoon. Polaris is the last star in the handle of the Little Dipper.

If you can recognize and identify the relationships between these 14 stars, you will always be able to find the North Star. It helps that they are some of the brightest stars in the night sky.

Happy star gazing!

[Naveed Aman Safi]

I can not imagine how many sleepless nights would have been spent by the astonomists to find these stars. But then again one could spend all night gazing stars in the sky as it is one of the most serene thing in the whole world it self. Now i only need some place away from these city lights so i could practice finding them. Thank you for this great article.

[Man Jaanbazam]

Originally Posted by Naveed Aman Safi

I can not imagine how many sleepless nights would have been spent by the astonomists to find these stars. But then again one could spend all night gazing stars in the sky as it is one of the most serene thing in the whole world it self. Now i only need some place away from these city lights so i could practice finding them. Thank you for this great article.

Exactly. Go to mountains. Visit North. The most amazing view it possesses, you have ever seen.