You can find south by drawing two lines in the sky. First, find the Southern Cross and the Pointers using a planisphere or star chart (easiest to do in the southern hemisphere autumn, winter or spring). The Latin name for the Southern Cross is Crux. Then draw an imaginary line through the long axis of the Southern Cross. Draw another line between the pointers (at right-angles to the line between the two stars). Where these two lines intersect is a point known as the South Celestial Pole (SCP). The geometry works because the SCP is like the centre of a clock-face and the cross an pointers move around like hands on a clock. If you drop a line straight down from the SCP to the horizon, that is the direction of true south as it would appear on a map or an atlas. Note that it is slightly different from where a magnetic compass would point, as the magnetic poles and geographic poles are in different places!
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 06:21:30 +0000
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