All the ways you know to determine the sides of the horizon. "terrain orientation". Determining directions according to the plan

Ventilation

The sides of the horizon are determined by the compass, celestial bodies and some signs of local objects that have not lost their significance in modern conditions.

To determine directions to the sides of the horizon, it is enough to know one direction to the north. If it is known, then there will be east on the right, west on the left, and south in the opposite direction to north. Between them there are intermediate directions: northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast.

To determine the sides of the horizon using a compass, you need to take the compass horizontally and release the brake of the magnetic needle, turn it so that the northern end of the needle coincides with the zero division of the scale. With this position of the compass, the letters on the scale S, S, E, 3 will respectively face north, south, east and west (some compasses have a large stroke instead of the letter C). After this, it is necessary to outline clearly visible local objects in the desired direction and from the horizon (north, south, east, west) and use them in the future if necessary.

To navigate by the North Star, you need to find the constellation Ursa Major in the sky - seven bright stars located in the sky in the form of a large bucket. Mentally draw a straight line through the two outermost stars of the Ursa Major constellation, on which to set aside from the end of the bucket a segment equal to five distances between these stars. At the end of the segment, a bright star is visible, which serves as the beginning of the Ursa Minor bucket. This is the North Star. Face her. In front of you is north, which means behind you is south, on the left is west, on the right is east (Fig. 86).

If the compass is damaged and the North Star is not visible, you can approximately determine the cardinal directions from the Moon. During the first quarter, the Moon is at 7 pm in the south and at 1 am in the west (hereinafter time is winter).

During the last quarter, the Moon is in the east at 1 am and in the south at 7 am.

It is easy to distinguish the first quarter from the last. The first quarter of the Moon has horns directed to the left, and the last quarter - to the right. The table shows the location of the Moon in different times days.

Using the Sun and the clock, the sides of the horizon are determined in the following sequence: the clock is held horizontally so that the hour hand is directed towards the Sun, the angle between the hour hand and the direction from the center of the dial to the number 1 is divided in half. The line dividing this angle in half will indicate the direction to the south. Before noon, it is necessary to divide in half the arc (angle) on the dial that the hour hand must travel before 13 o'clock (Fig. 87, a), and after noon - the arc that it has passed after 13 o'clock (Fig. 87,6).

The sides of the horizon can be determined by the signs of local objects. For example:

The bark of most trees is rougher on the north side, thinner, drier and harder on the south; The pine trunk is usually covered with secondary crust on the north side, so it is thicker than on the south side; birch bark is always cleaner on the south side, and all sorts of cracks, irregularities and growths cover the birch on the north side;

After the rain, the trunks of the pine trees turn black from the north;

On the north side, trees, stones, wooden and tiled roofs are covered with lichens and fungi earlier and more abundantly;

On coniferous trees resin accumulates more abundantly on the south side;

The branches of the tree are usually more developed, denser and longer on the south side; annual growth rings of wood found on the stump of a cut tree are wider on the south side than on the north;

Anthills are located on the south side of trees, stumps and bushes; in addition, the southern slope of the anthills is gentle, and the northern slope is steep (Fig. 88);

Berries and fruits acquire the color of maturity earlier (turn red, turn yellow) on the south side;

Clearings in large forests, as a rule, are cut almost strictly along the north-south and east-west lines. At the ends of the pillars installed at the intersections of clearings, the blocks are numbered from west to east (from left to right);

In the steppe, rodents usually make their entrance from the south side of the hill;

Sunflower caps when in full bloom are always turned in one direction - to the south;

The steeper and more exposed side of the ravine is the northern one;

There is more snow on the north side of trees, buildings and other objects; on the south side it thaws faster.

Terrain orientation means the process of determining location based on the sides of the horizon and objects (landmarks) of the area. Orientation on the ground can be done using the following things:

Using the map, you can easily determine your location, as well as choose your future route, taking into account obstacles such as off-road conditions or limited visibility. A compass and celestial bodies will help you accurately determine the direction of the horizon.

Features of terrain orientation

Using the map as a guide, you should go to the nearest objects: a road, a river bank, a clearing, and find them on the map. Make sure that the objects shown on the map coincide with their real location.

You cannot use the compass near military equipment, iron objects and power lines - the magnetic needle will go astray from its course and point you in the wrong direction.

In order not to get lost, it is best to mark with sweeps those objects that were depicted on the map and met on your way.

Determining the sides of the horizon

You can determine the sides of the horizon using a compass. To do this, the prior must be placed on a flat horizontal surface - only in this position is the magnetic needle brake released. After the needle stops oscillating, the luminous end will point you in the north direction.

The sides of the horizon can also be determined by the clock and the Sun. To do this, you need to face the Sun and place the watch so that its hand is directed towards the Sun.

The angle formed between the large arrow and the number 1 will indicate the south direction. It should be noted that this method is valid only in the CIS. At night, you can find out the sides of the horizon in the same way by pointing the clock hand at the Moon.

Determining the sides of the horizon by objects

Knowing some signs of wildlife, you can easily determine the side of the horizon in unfamiliar terrain. On the north side of the tree the bark is much thicker than on the south side. On coniferous trees, resin accumulates more abundantly on the south side of the trunk.

You can determine the southern direction if you look at an ordinary anthill: the southern slope is gentle, the northern slope is steeper. In trees that grow alone, the southern crown is more luxuriant than the crown on the northern side.

Mosses grow on the northern part of the trunk, while on the southern part there are much fewer of them or none at all. Main entrance the chapels and temples are located from the north.

Determining the sides of the horizon

Magnetic compass device. When navigating the terrain, the Adrianov's compass and the artillery compass (AK) are most widely used.

Fig.1 Adrianov's compass.

Compass Adrianov(Fig. 1) consists of a body 1, in the center of which a magnetic needle 3 is placed on the tip of the needle. When the needle is not inhibited, its northern end is set in the direction of the North magnetic pole, and the southern end - in the direction of the South magnetic pole. When not in use, the needle is secured by brake 6. Inside the compass body there is a circular scale (dial) 2, divided into 120 divisions. The price of one division is 3°, or 50 small divisions of the protractor (0-50). The scale has double digitization. Internal digitization is applied clockwise from 0 to 360° in 15° increments (5 scale divisions). The external digitization of the scale is applied counterclockwise through 5 large graduations of the protractor (10 scale divisions). To sight local objects (landmarks) and take readings on the compass scale, a sighting device (front sight and rear sight) 4 and a reading indicator 5 are attached to the rotating compass ring.

The northern end of the magnetic needle, reading indicators and 90° divisions on the scale are covered with glow-in-the-dark paint, which makes it easier to use the compass at night.

Fig.2 Artillery compass.

AK artillery compass(Fig. 2) consists of a body and a goniometric scale 3, placed in the body 2 of the limb. The goniometer scale is divided into 60 divisions. The price of one division is equal to 100 small divisions of the protractor. The count of divisions increases clockwise. A sighting device (slot and front sight) is fixedly mounted on the compass body. Rotation of the dial body allows, without changing the position of the compass, to quickly align the zero division of the scale with the northern end of the magnetic needle. On inside The hinged cover 4 of the compass contains a metal mirror a, which makes it possible, when sighting an object, to simultaneously control the position of the magnetic needle and count on the scale. The lid has a cutout for sighting and a latch. The compass "Tourist-2" is designed in a similar way. The dial scale in this compass is given in degrees. The price of one division is 5°.

When working with a compass, you should always remember that strong electromagnetic fields or nearby metal objects will deflect the needle from its correct position. Therefore, when determining compass directions, it is necessary to move 40-50 m away from power lines, railroad tracks, military vehicles and other large metal objects.

Determining directions to the sides of the horizon using a compass is performed as follows. The sighting device's front sight is placed on the zero scale division, and the compass is placed in a horizontal position. Then the brake of the magnetic needle is released and the compass is turned so that its northern end coincides with the zero reading. After this, without changing the position of the compass, a distant landmark is noticed by sighting through the rear sight and front sight, which is used to indicate the direction to the north.

Fig.3 Relative position of the sides of the horizon.

The directions to the sides of the horizon are interconnected (Fig. 3), and if at least one of them is known, the rest can be determined. The opposite direction to north will be south, to the right is east, and to the left is west.

Determining the direction to the sides of the horizon using celestial bodies. In the absence of a compass or in areas of magnetic anomalies where the compass can give erroneous readings (readings), the sides of the horizon can be determined by the celestial bodies: during the day - by the Sun, and at night - by the North Star or the Moon.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun is approximately at 7.00 in the east, at 13.00 in the south, at 19.00 in the west. The position of the Sun at these hours will indicate the directions east, south and west, respectively.

For more precise definition sides of the horizon According to the Sun, wristwatches are used. In a horizontal position, they are installed so that the hour hand is directed towards the Sun.

Fig.1 Determining the sides of the horizon by the Sun and the clock (before 13.00)

The angle between the hour hand and the direction towards number 1 on the watch dial is divided in half by a straight line, which indicates the direction to the south. Before noon, it is necessary to divide in half the arc (angle) that the arrow must pass before 13.00 (Fig. 1), and after noon - the arc that it passed after 13.00 (Fig. 2).

Fig.2 Determining the sides of the horizon by the Sun and the clock (after 13.00)

North Star is always in the north. At night, in a cloudless sky, it is easy to find by the constellation Ursa Major. Through the two outermost stars of the Big Dipper you need to mentally draw a straight line (Fig. 3) and put on it five times a segment equal to the distance between the outermost stars. The end of the fifth segment will indicate the position of the North Star, which is located in the constellation Ursa Minor (the final star of the small dipper).

Fig.3 The location of the North Star in the sky.

The North Star can serve as a reliable guide for maintaining the direction of movement, since its position in the sky remains virtually unchanged over time. The accuracy of determining the direction using the North Star is 2 - 3°.

By the Moon The sides of the horizon are determined more accurately when its entire disk is visible (full moon). In table Figure 1 shows the sides of the horizon on which the Moon is located in various phases.

Table 1

Determining the sides of the horizon based on signs of local objects(Fig. 1). If there is no compass and the heavenly bodies are not visible, then the sides of the horizon can be determined by the signs of local objects.

One of the most important skills for those who like to travel or simply relax as savages is terrain orientation. In this article we will consider the main ways to determine the sides of the horizon.

Having this information, you will not get lost even in the most difficult conditions. The main condition is the presence of a card. Otherwise, you will have to rely on logic and assumptions. However, you can easily determine your location.

Compass

We will begin to study ways to determine the sides of the horizon with the easiest and most obvious. Using a compass you can easily find out where north is. There are only a few mandatory conditions. What do you need to know so that this device does not let you down?

Firstly, it is possible to determine the cardinal directions only when the compass is in a strictly horizontal, stationary position, and the needle has stopped oscillating.

Secondly, within a radius of fifty meters around you there should be no railway tracks, transformers or other sources of electromagnetic or magnetic radiation. Otherwise, the compass will deviate from the correct course or the needle will begin to spin and behave strangely.

How to use this device correctly?

The most common are the two military compasses - Adrianov and artillery, as well as sports varieties. They differ only in price levels and the presence of certain scales.

In any device, on top, on the lid, there is a special sight, through which you can determine the landmark. So, hold the compass horizontally and wait until the needle stops. Its dark end will point to the north. Now we turn the sight so that its vector coincides with the arrow. Now the cardinal directions are easy to determine. If you are looking north, the south will be behind you, the east will be on your right, and the west will be on your left.

Watch

Determining the sides of the horizon by the clock is one of the most interesting, unusual and effective ways. To implement this, a mechanical watch with hands is required. Electronic ones will not work.

This method is a little similar to determining the sides of the horizon by the sun, since we cannot do without the sun. What features does this method of terrain orientation have?

Firstly, there are different options location determination in the morning and afternoon. The time limit is one hour in the afternoon (13:00).

Secondly, the clock must be accurate.

So, we position the device so that the hand that shows the hour (often it is thicker and shorter than the others) looks at the sun. Next, you need to draw an imaginary angle that will connect two lines in the center of the dial. One will coincide with the hour hand, and the second will pass through the number “one”.

After this, we divide the angle in half with an imaginary straight line. The south will be ahead, the median line will indicate it.

The peculiarity is as follows. Until one o'clock in the afternoon we measure the arc from the hand showing the clock. That is, the path that she still needs to go through before 13:00. And after this time we draw an imaginary arc counterclockwise. Therefore, we are now measuring the distance she has already traveled after one o'clock in the afternoon.

The figure above will help you better understand this method of orientation on the ground.

Needle

According to many tourists, the following definition of the sides of the horizon on the ground is the most unusual. In addition, additional equipment and skills are required to implement it. From the outside it looks more like a circus trick. So what do we need?

  1. Metal needle for sewing. It will become the needle of our makeshift compass.
  2. Something that will give the needle buoyancy properties. It could be vegetable oil(we generously lubricate a metal rod with it or drip it onto the surface of the water), a small piece of cork or polystyrene foam. The main condition is that the needle must float in a horizontal position.
  3. The metal rod must be magnetized. This can be done using a magnet, a piece of wool or some other available means. For example, in the case of a needle, the most ordinary scissors would be a good choice. All you have to do is snap the ends together as if you were trying to cut a needle in half. From the rapid friction of metal on metal, the rod will begin to magnetize.
  4. Container with water. This could be some kind of container or, for example, a hole in a tree or stone filled with standing water.

The main sides of the horizon (in the presence of all the above items) are determined simply. A well-magnetized needle that floats on the surface of the water, under the influence of magnetic field the planets will rotate along the south-north line.

The only inconvenience is that it will not be clear where which one will have to be determined in additional ways.

But this method is completely suitable for insurance purposes. In addition, it is very indicative of teaching children location orientation and explaining the principles of magnetic fields.

Heavenly bodies

The sun moves across the sky at an angle of fifteen degrees in one hour. People have been guided by it for a long time. But to more accurately determine the cardinal directions, it is worth knowing some features.

In summer, the Sun moves along the southern side of the sky. Therefore, it rises not in the east, but in the northeast. Sets down, respectively, in the northwest.

In winter, the same picture is repeated, only from the north side. In spring and autumn, the sun rises and sets in the east and west.

The second feature on which the determination of the sides of the horizon by the sun is based is the length of the shadow. In principle, the shortest shadow occurs around one in the afternoon. It points to the north if the object is motionless and in a strictly vertical position.

For a more accurate understanding of the location, it is worth using other methods of determining the sides of the horizon. For example, with mechanical watch which was described above.

At night, when there is no light, it is easiest to navigate by the North Star. This part, as astronomers say, is located near the axis of the north pole of the world and is practically motionless, unlike other stars. Therefore, it is very easy to determine where north is.

How to find this star? First you need to find the Big Dipper in the sky. This constellation is in the form of a large bucket with a handle. Depending on the time of day, it can be located vertically, horizontally or at an angle.

Now you need to mentally continue the line that connects the two stars that form the front wall of the bucket (opposite the handle). If you extend it to a distance five times greater than the length of the segment, you will stumble upon North Star.

You can clearly see how to do this in the figure on the left.

Buildings

The main sides of the horizon are very easily determined near buildings of sacred significance.

These can be Orthodox churches or Catholic churches, chapels, mosques, synagogues. Each of these buildings is built according to its own strict laws.

If there is an Orthodox church, cathedral or temple nearby, you need to look at the lower crossbar. According to legend, the feet of Christ were located there. It is beveled diagonally. Its upper edge is directed towards the north.

Altars in Catholic churches are located in the west, and in Lutheran and Orthodox churches- in the east.

There are other local signs of determining the sides of the horizon. Thus, the entrance of mosques and synagogues is located approximately in the northern part of the building. According to these religions, a person entering a building should face Mecca or Jerusalem, respectively.

IN East Asia Buddhist buildings usually face south. The yurts of the indigenous peoples of Siberia also have an entrance from this side of the world.

Clearings are traditionally made in forests. They are usually cut either from east to west or from north to south.

Natural objects

Many methods for determining the sides of the horizon have long been known. To do this, people used observations of trees, animal behavior and other features of the environment.

For example, due to the abundance of light and heat in the summer on the south side, berries and fruits ripen faster and have richer colors on the side facing this direction. On freshly cut trees, the rings are wider on the south side than on the north. This is explained by the same abundance sunlight and warmth.

There are other signs of determining the sides of the horizon. The anthills on the northern side are steeper, and on the southern side they are flatter. It is also believed that icicles form more often on the south side of the roof.

If there are pine trees nearby, the south can be easily determined from them. On this side, their trunks will be lighter and the bark will be rougher. And also there will be much more resin streaks on it than on the northern side of the tree. The grass is greener in the south in summer and turns yellow earlier in the north.

The most popular method is to pay attention to the amount of moss on the stones and it is believed that these plants like to settle on the north side.

Lichens and mosses

When determining the characteristics of the sides of the horizon, you need to use complex results. This especially applies to natural phenomena and the plant world.

Earlier we mentioned the most common way to find the north side. It consists in the fact that you just need to look at a tree trunk or stone. The moss should be on the north side. But if this really happens, you are incredibly lucky. This happens once every hundred trees, or even more. Why is this so? What is the reason?

It's simple. These plants love shade and humidity. It is assumed that it is on the northern side that such a microclimate is formed. But in the forest the conditions are actually completely different. It all depends on the terrain, surrounding bodies of water or mountains.

In addition, you may find yourself near the edge of the forest. Ignore the cutting and, guided by the position of the moss and lichens on the trees, mark the north. Before this, the trunks you see were in the shadows deep in the forest. It was only after cutting down that they turned out to be the outskirts.

The same applies to the buildings we talked about earlier. Traditionally they should be built as we have already mentioned, but today everything is changing. Some architect decided to innovate and make a door in a different place.

Therefore, be sure to use the signs as a whole, or better yet, take a compass with you.

lettuce

There are also quite extravagant ways of determining the horizon with the cardinal points. This includes the so-called “compass plants”. They usually have one or more permanent traits that gradually become fixed as they mature.

Such plants, for example, include compass lettuce. Outwardly, it looks like a very large dandelion with small yellow flowers. Over time, they, like younger brother, become fluffy parachutes.

However, it is completely unrelated to the ordinary dandelion. Rather, lettuce can be called its relative.

In fact, compass lettuce is a weed. It grows in the steppe zone of the former Soviet Union almost everywhere. You can find thickets of it in the fields, and isolated plants along the roads.

Its peculiarity is that it hides the delicate surface of the leaves from sun rays. Lettuce turns them sideways. And when the plant matures enough, they freeze in this position. Not always, but very often the leaves indicate a line from north to south.

If you decide to use this method exclusively, it is better to find thickets of lettuce. Because single plant may be an exception and will confuse you.

Sunflower

Now we will study the last “plant” method of determining the direction of the sides of the horizon. To do this, we need one, or better yet, several sunflowers growing nearby.

Children have known since school that a plant turns with the sun. That is, in the morning it looks east, and in the evening it turns out to be turned to the west.

However, this is not entirely true. If you carefully follow the life of a sunflower through its different stages, you may be very surprised. It turns out that over time, when the flower plate appears from the bud and forms, the plant freezes.

A fully open sunflower will never turn to follow the sun. He always looks where the first morning rays appear. If it is an open place, then the flower will be directed towards the northeast or east.

If there are obstacles nearby, the sunflower will look exclusively in the direction from which the first rays appear. In this case, you cannot rely on it.

Modern technology

Modern technology allows you to navigate the terrain only using the device screen. We are talking about a professional navigator or a regular one mobile phone with the Internet.

However, the reality is that the network does not catch everywhere. Therefore, even the GPS should be turned on before entering the forest in order to mark the place where you will need to return. For example, you are standing near the first line of trees and, judging by the instrument, you are looking southeast. So you will return to the northwest. This is the direction we remember.

Second important point. If suddenly the connection is lost and the navigator or map is no longer active, it will help unusual solution. We turn on the analog dial on the mobile phone in the “alarm clock” section. Now you have electronic version clock with hands. And then we proceed as described above.

Thus, dear readers, today we have learned to determine the sides of the horizon on the ground. This is a useful skill that will undoubtedly be useful to mushroom pickers, hunters, and hobbyists. wild holiday or travelers.

I decided to arrange my own new home according to Feng Shui. So. In the north - an office, in the west - a children's room, in the northwest - a sector for storing equipment, in the northeast - a zone of wisdom... It turned out that everything is not so simple. I'm completely confused about arranging things according to the sides of the horizon. I had to brush up on my school knowledge.

How to determine the sides of the horizon of a house

In Feng Shui there is a special Bagua scheme. It can be downloaded on the Internet. Using the table you can easily find your way around the apartment. To do this, you need to draw a house plan on a small scale and apply Bagua to it in a mirror image. For example, if the windows face north, then in the diagram we connect them to the south.


How to calculate in which direction of the world the windows are located? The surest and easiest way is to find the coordinates of your home on the Internet or get them using the GPS navigator on your phone.
If this is not possible, then the most the best remedy is a compass. But how many of us have such a device at home? It is likely that most housewives, like me, definitely do not have a compass. You can determine the sides of the horizon in a house (but not only) by wristwatch. The main thing is that the sun shines on this day. The accessory must be positioned so that the hour hand points towards the sun. The midline between 12 o'clock and the hand will show south. Determining the remaining cardinal directions is a matter of technology.
Another way is by the stars. In the starry sky you need to find the North Star and face it. In this position, you will have west on your left and east on your right.

How to choose a compass

After all the efforts I made to put my house in order, I finally bought a compass. During the purchase, I learned that there are compasses:

  • liquid;
  • magnetic;
  • electromagnetic;
  • electronic.

I purchased the first option.


In my opinion, it is the most optimal. The operation of the liquid compass does not depend on batteries or satellite communications. At the same time, unlike a conventional magnetic compass, there are no errors. The main thing is to use it carefully so as not to break it.

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