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Three Constellations You Should Know

Ken — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 12:43:09 +0000

Being able to determine direction can be critical to finding your way out of a “lost” scenario. The lights of the night can be helpful in your orientation by finding the North Star (or Polaris). As I reside in the Northern Hemisphere, I have come to rely on three constellations to aid me in finding Polaris, they are: the Big Dipper (Ursa Major); Cassiopeia; and Orion. There are certain stars within each constellation that “point” to Polaris.

The Big Dipper and Little Dipper are both shaped like ladles or dipping spoons and are large and small respectively. The Small Dipper (Ursa Minor) actually contains Polaris at the tail of it’s handle, but that constellation is quite dim and in some circumstances is barely visible. The Big Dipper however is brighter and much easier to locate visually. The outer two stars in the “cup” portion of the Big Dipper point upward to Polaris.

When viewing Cassiopeia as the letter “W”, I align an imaginary line from the first star on the left and the fourth star towards the right. Then from the fourth star I imagine a 90 degree line pointing straight upward that reaches Polaris.

When viewing the square outline of Orion, I visually connect the lower two stars to the upper right star. This imaginary triangle points upward to Polaris but you may find that you have to bend backwards a bit to make the connection.

During this late time of year these constellations are positioned for easy viewing overhead. Because of the Earth’s rotation the constellations may be rising or falling from East to West, and because of the Earth’s revolution, they may be high or low on the latitude of the Earth’s axis. Cooler weather often makes clearer skies at night so it is an excellent time to step outdoors and familiarize yourself with these constellations and how they relate to the North Star.

Reading Glasses x 2

Ken — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:59:49 +0000

Imagine that you’re traveling on the road at night with no GPS to guide you. Nothing looks familiar but fortunately you have a map of the region. The only problem is that the overhead light is marginal and you’re over 40 now and the fine print is only a blur. Your spouse offers their reading glasses that you put on with resignation. However, that small type still eludes you. You remember that you keep a spare set of reading glasses in the glove compartment so you take them out to see if they work any better, but they seem to be the same level of magnification. All of a sudden a brain storm strikes… what would happen if you combined the two glasses and wear both of them at the same time? Voilà ! The fuzziness becomes clear enough to read and you are able to find your present location and the means to reach your destination.

In my case, my wife taught me this trick when I couldn’t read the numbers on my old cell phone. I was truly amazed and now I’m eager to pass this trick on to all the newbies in the reading glasses crowd.

If you use reading glasses and haven’t tried this method yet, you need to give it a try… you too will find it amazing!

How To Make A Needle Compass

Ken — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:03:54 +0000

You have probably seen a needle compass made in science class or in a movie, but I thought it would be good to review the basics and offer perhaps some variations to this phenomenon. It starts with a small piece of metal that contains iron, which can be magnetized. Some items might be needles, pins, paperclips, razor blades, etc.. They can be magnetized by repeatedly dragging them across a magnet, or by repeatedly stroking them across fabric or hair thereby collecting a static charge. The magnetized/charged piece of metal must then be suspended so that it can freely re-orient in a polar direction. Presumably this is a daytime activity, so you can have an indication of south based on sun travel. I have stropped a double edged razor blade on the hair of my arm and the end that I held between my fingers pointed North. You can cut out the bottom of a styrofoam cup or thin plastic cup (as contained in my DIY Mini Survival Kit) to float on water. You can also use a leaf for this purpose as well. An alternative way to suspend a needle is by folding a small piece of paper lengthwise, insert the needle into the paper like a stitch on the side, then tie a loop at the end of some thread and use it as a yoke lenghthwise to suspend it. I find that suspending it by a 3-4 foot length works best. Keep clear of any metal objects or structures as they may skew the magnetic field, and stay clear of windy areas. As usual, I advise everyone to develop their skills and try new methods now, before it is needed in an emergency. Proper tools are always best to use, but it’s good to know alternatives in an emergency situation.