Navigate by the Stars
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What you will learn
- 1Find the North Star using the Big Dipper in the northern sky
- 2Find roughly south using the Southern Cross in the southern sky
- 3Explain why the North Star stays nearly still while other stars move
- 4Explain why you watch the stars from camp with a grown-up
Mini Lesson
Long before compasses, people used the stars to find direction. On a clear night, a few star patterns can show you north or south. Which stars you can see depends on where you live on Earth, so check with your grown-up which sky is yours. This is a skill for sitting at camp with your grown-up and looking up - never for walking off in the dark.
🌿 The Wild Way (northern sky: find north)
- FIND THE BIG DIPPER: look for seven bright stars shaped like a big ladle or pan with a long handle.
- FIND THE POINTER STARS: the two stars at the outer end of the bowl are called the pointer stars.
- FOLLOW THE POINTERS: imagine a line from the bottom pointer through the top one, and keep going about five times the gap between them.
- FIND THE NORTH STAR: you reach a fairly bright star on its own. This is the North Star, also called Polaris.
- LOOK DOWN: the North Star sits almost exactly above north. Look straight down from it to the horizon - that way is north.
🌿 The Wild Way (southern sky: find south)
- FIND THE SOUTHERN CROSS: look for a small constellation of four bright stars in a kite or cross shape.
- USE THE POINTER STARS: two bright stars sit next to the cross. They help you be sure you have the real Southern Cross.
- FOLLOW THE LONG ARM: imagine a line along the long arm of the cross, from top to bottom, and keep going about four and a half lengths of the cross.
- LOOK DOWN: from the end of that line, look straight down to the horizon. That way is roughly south.
- STARS MOVE: through the night, the stars slowly turn across the sky. The North Star stays nearly still, but other stars change place, so check again later.
Star-watching is for a clear night at camp, sitting or standing next to your grown-up. Never walk off in the dark to follow a star - stay at camp, stay together and use a flashlight when you move around. Your grown-up decides where everyone goes.
Words to know
constellation
A group of stars that makes a shape or pattern in the sky.
e.g. The Southern Cross is a small constellation.
Big Dipper
Seven bright stars in the northern sky shaped like a ladle.
e.g. We found the Big Dipper high in the sky after dinner.
pointer stars
Two stars that point the way to another star or shape.
e.g. The pointer stars led us to the North Star.
North Star
A star, also called Polaris, that sits almost exactly above north.
e.g. The North Star stayed in the same place all night.
Southern Cross
Four bright stars in a cross shape in the southern sky that help you find south.
e.g. From the Southern Cross we found roughly south.
horizon
The line where the land or sea seems to meet the sky.
e.g. We looked straight down to the horizon.
🧠 Survivor’s Trick: once you find north or south, line it up with a tree or rock on the horizon while it is still dark. In the morning, that landmark still shows the direction, even after the stars are gone.
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