something funny

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000! Based on estimates on our own galaxy, astronomers have guessed that’s roughly how many stars exist in our universe. “So what?” you might be asking. Well, if you’ve forgotten or lost your camping digital compass (or simply want to be challenged) you can use other methods to determine your location, when lost in the wilderness. Whether you need to get to your campground; a cave, gorge, or lake; or an Amish Country Inn Berlin Ohio, you can do it by using Mother Nature as a compass. Sound interesting?

Wristwatch Method
If your wristwatch has hands on it, it can tell you more than the time and what time you need to check in to an Amish Country Inn Berlin Ohio. You can actually determine directions with it!

As you would hold a camping digital compass, hold your watch out in front of you. Then hold a blade of grass, toothpick, or twig on the edge of the watch’s face. The small item should then create a shadow towards the wristwatch’s middle. Then start turning the watch. Continue doing this until the shadow cuts in half the distance between the watch’s hour hand and “12″ on the face of the watch.

Voila! If you’re in the Northern hemisphere, then the “12″ on your watch will point South and the “6″ will point North. However, if you’re south of the equator, the “12″ points North and the “6″ points South.

Sun Shadow Method
This method is based on the length of the sun’s shadow slowly altering in length, as it moves from East to West. Here’s what to do:

• Find a level area of sand or soil, and clear it out.
• Locate a stick that’s about 2-3 feet long
• Push the stick into the ground until it’s upright
• Place another tiny stick or small rock at the shadow line’s end
• Kick back and relax for half an hour
• Position another stick or small rock at the end of the new shadow line.
• The two sticks or lines are situated East-to-West. The first marker is West and the second marker is East.
• For those in the Northern hemisphere, North creates a right angle with the East-West line (moving away from the sun). If you’re in the Southern hemisphere, South is perpendicular to the line.

Moon Shadow Method
There’s an interesting variation of the Sun Shadow Method, but uses bright moonlight instead. Again, place a 2-3 foot-long stick into the ground. Use a string that’s as long as the moon’s shadow, to make a circle around the stick in the ground. After an hour, keep checking the shadow until it’s become lengthy enough to touch the circle. This process will take 1-6 hours. A line between the original and new shadow points is your East-West line. Determine North or South in the same way as the Sun Shadow method.

Polaris (North Star) Method
With this method, first find the Big Dipper in the night sky. That’s the group of seven stars within the constellation Ursa Major. Four of the stars form a bowl, while the other three form a dipper. Next, measure out five times the ladle’s length, upwards to its edge. You’ll then see Polaris the North Star, which is almost directly north. You can also find the constellation Cassiopeia, which is across the North Star. Shaped like a “W,” this constellation also points to Polaris. Watch as other stars constantly encircle Polaris.

Of course, using a digital compass is always more accurate than getting help from Mother Nature, to determine your location. But if you’re lost and need to get to an Amish Country Inn Berlin Ohio or any other place in a jiffy, look to the stars (or moon)!

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