Orientation at night: The Big Dipper

In the first episode, we took a first look at the topic of "Orientation at Night". In the nighttime sky, we got to know the North Star as a reference point for the north direction. Now, we will take a closer look at the first constellation to locate the North Star.

The Big Dipper or Ursa Major is a very distinctive constellation and easy to find. Particularly, the square in the lower part of the Big Dipper is important for us. At the outer edge of the constellation, imagine a line connecting directly to the North Star.

To find the exact position, all you have to do is look 5 times the distance between the two stars at the outer edge of the Big Dipper along the imaginary line. Then you will have found the North Star. But it's best to look at the picture - then everything will become clear:

I hope you were able to learn something new or refresh your knowledge about orientation at night. Next week we will get to know the rather unknown constellation "Auriga".

Until then, and stay always ready!
Reini - survival24.org