If my eyes shoot up from the farthest lip of the saucepan, the Big Dipper, Plough...I shall find the Pole star & north I am aboard my vessel or on land. Would a lay person, or mathematician even, walk me through in simple steps how I apply my/the knowledge, please (and sail home safely)... I always stumble....just beyond the edge of my intelligence...I do understand but I do not, and could not teach the point [also dangers of a lee shore + offside rule, no] Thank you Thick person
I don’t think that works. I turned left but the star hasn’t spoken. Hang on, I’m digesting your complexity.
Well, short answer is that the Polaris always points due north, so if you don't have a compass, you can use it to estimate a general direction: north when it's at your face, south when it's at your back, west if it's on your right shoulder, east if it's on your left. I suppose--again, assuming no compass--that you can use the star to pinpoint a distant landmark to aim for, be it a mountain (that you can see at night when the stars are out?) or a lit skyscraper in a city, or some flashing lights on a hill. The distance Polaris is above the horizon tells you how many degrees you are north of the equator. The North Star never moves, so that one is easy: For you in the UK, at a latitude around 51 north, the North star will be 51 degrees above the horizon. For me in Providence, USA, it's around 42 degrees. Longitude is much harder because the stars are "rotating" throughout the night, so you need a star chart broken down by days of the year, a clock, and a sextant for taking angular measurements. You look at where a certain star is relative to the horizon, check the time, and then check the chart, which will tell you where you are from East to West: For Mat in the UK, Orion's schlong will appear in a different place above the horizon that it will for Homer in the US if we look at the star at the same time. That's where the charts come in... I'm not sure exactly how it works, but it's accurate to within a mile or so if you know what you're doing and your clock is super accurate. This link isn't bad: https://www.wikihow.com/Navigate-by-the-Stars
Thanks so much @hp, so I just need to buy a sextant to boss the world? That really is something I could buy & show colleagues? I feel an even bigger idiot, thinking maybe to retire from the internet. How about lee shore in my wind-jammer/clipper? x
I can’t tap so fast I’m on my phone. So I found the star - ‘I found the star, honey, we’re going to be okay...’ What do I do next at the tiller? Just more ‘confidence?’
You are here. Your destination is over there. Go over there until you reach your destination. If you miss your destination, keep going until you fall off the world. When you land, you will be at your destination. Keep these instructions handy. You may use them at any time during your journey. Be sure to check in at each local pub when reading these instructions for maximum results. Be well
I love u @Guy. @potvin was loveable too, & also @naomasa256 to a lesser extent but only in this instance.
https://earthsky.org/upl/2013/07/big-dipper-to-polaris-Tom-Wildoner-0330am-July-2013-e1397816695353.jpg If you follow that star you're heading towards the north. GPS isn't working?
No, gps isn’t allowed. The man is standing at the tiller. He looks straight up In the sky and sees the Pole star. He turns left and looks heavenward again. The Polestar is still there. He will follow the Pole star north to get home safely. Does he need a piece of paper? Should he sit down, gather his thoughts/stop drinking rum?
No worries. If he's got one of these bebes he needn't stop drinking. Accurate as... accurate goes. Edit: Lol. I forgot to post the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrolabe
Yes, that is very lovely and I love it. But really I need a real man to take the tiller and sail us home. No gadgets. And he can explain ‘method’ to me in the morning...etc...I’m flailing now.
Normally you would start with a star map. They can be bought in Hollywood, or maybe you can download one. But you seem to already have located the star, so now you just set up your star pole. Get the kind that bolts down securely to the ship’s deck, otherwise it can dump you unexpectedly. Climb to the top and talk to the star. He’ll tell you which way to go, assuming he’s in a good mood. Maybe ply him with with some of that rum or tell him his last film was the best you’ve ever seen. They like that, especially if they know it isn’t true.
Hm... Seems more complicated than I had originally suspected... Well, if you don't have a "real" man nearby, you can always make one. Here's a manual I found: https://themindsjournal.com/how-be-a-real-man/
