Celestial objects are good navigation tools, particularly the North
Star. Although you may think that the stars are constantly moving across
the night sky, in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Star always holds
its position. To find the North Star, first find the Big Dipper. Draw an
imaginary line connecting the two stars that form the rightmost part
of the ladle. Continue the line a distance about five times greater than
the depth of the ladle, which will lead you to the last star in the handle
of the Little Dipper. This is the North Star. Make a marking or lay a
stick on the ground pointing north (to the star). Once daylight comes,
you can use this to establish your direction.
North StarBig DipperLittle DipperYou can find the North Star by locating the end stars of the Big Dipper. Follow the line they
make diagonally north and you’ll find the bright light of the North Star.
In the southern hemisphere, you can use the Southern Cross (and its
two pointer stars) to determine south. Start with the star that marks the top
of the cross and draw an imaginary line through its long axis. Now draw
a line that starts midway between the two pointer stars and comes out at
a right angle to it. This line should cross your first imaginary line through
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