Stars as a Compass kits – Preview

There are seven different kits available. Six of them are for specific latitudes of the Earth, and one is for the Whole Earth.

Each kit contains:

1. Instructions on how to find the star groups and how to use them to find north or south.
2. Posters that clearly demonstrate the method.
3. Worksheets that give students practice at actually finding the stars on paper.
4. A worksheet that gives students practice at finding the stars on a computer simulated night sky.

The instructions in each kit are different, being specific to the latitude of the kit. We have included the instructions from the Whole Earth kit on this preview page as they give the most comprehensive overview of the methods we use.

We have also included all of the posters from all of the kits and a representative sample of the worksheets. Please note that the previews that you see on this web page are low-resolution web graphics. Subscribers can download these posters as high quality printer-ready files which are suitable for printing at Letter/A4 size and can be enlarged on a photocopier to Tabloid/A3 size.

Whole Earth Kit – Instructions and Posters

Search the skies for one of the three groups: the Southern Cross, Big Dipper or Cassiopeia. From most locations, most of the time, you will be able to find one of them. If you cannot find any of them you may have to wait an hour or two for one of them to rise. At such times you will need low northern and southern horizons. As soon as you have found one of these groups of stars, you can use it to find either north or south.

Finding the Big Dipper

The big dipper is a very distinctive shape made from seven particularly bright stars. Once you know the shape, you will not easily mistake it.

However, there is a key that lets you check that you have the right stars. The second handle star is actually two stars very close together. Look for this double star – if you see it, you are looking at the Big Dipper. Unfortunately the second star of the double will not always be visible from a city because of the amount of light coming from streetlights. If this is the case, you will have to rely on the distinctive shape of the Big Dipper.

Finding North from the Big Dipper and Pole Star Find the Big Dipper. Find the two pointer stars in the bowl of the dipper. The pointer stars are the outside two of the dipper bowl. Follow the line of the pointers out of the bowl for three hand widths and you will come to the Pole Star. The Pole Star may (in some locations) be below the horizon, but if you follow the line for three hands-widths you will find its location even though you cannot see it. True North is just below the Pole Star.

Finding Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia is a distinctive shape made from five bright stars. They form a wonky W.

To be sure that you have found the right stars, look for the sixth star. The sixth star can be seen on one of the middle arms of the W. If you are looking from a city this star might be very faint, or even impossible to see, due to the amount of light coming from streetlights. If this is the case, you will have to rely on Cassiopeia's distinctive shape.

Finding North from Cassiopeia and Pole Star Find Cassiopeia. Think of the wonky W as two bowls. The Pole Star can be found in the direction that you go to get out of the bowls. Of the five main stars, three of them form a line. This line does not point to the Pole Star; it points 90° from the direction of the Pole Star. So place your outstretched hand against the line, and then two further hand widths coming out of the bowls, and you will get to the Pole Star. True North is just below the Pole Star.

Finding the Southern Cross

There are many crosses in the skies, so check these keys before deciding you have found the Southern Cross. The two keys to finding the Southern Cross are:

1. The Pointers. These are very bright stars and they make a distinctive shape with the cross.
2. The Fifth Star. Many crosses have a fifth star, and it acts like a "signature." You can tell which cross it is from the location of the fifth star. The Southern Cross has its fifth star roughly midway between two of its main four stars. If you are looking from a city this star might be very faint, or even impossible to see, due to the amount of light coming from streetlights. If this is the case, you will have to rely on the distinctive shape made by the Southern Cross and pointers.

Finding South from the Southern Cross Find the Southern Cross. Decide which way the curve goes (the curve is made from the pointers and the short arm). The curve points, like a satellite dish, towards the South Celestial Pole. Decide which arm is the long arm. Follow the line of the long arm for three hand widths and you will come to the South Celestial Pole. True South is below the South Celestial Pole.

Whole Earth Kit – Hunt the Poles Worksheets

These worksheets allow you to practise finding the star groups used in direction finding. The cut-out hands allow you to practise using the method for finding the poles. These worksheets are remarkably effective with students of all ages providing genuine star-finding practice with a simple photocopied resource.

We have previewed one "Hunt the Pole Star" and one "Hunt the Southern Cross" worksheet here. The complete sets consist of 8 worksheets each, with the stars in different places. Please note that the downloadable worksheets show much more detail than we are able to include in these web graphics.

Whole Earth Kit – Computer Challenge Worksheets

Mirapla Sky for Windows allows you to practise finding the star groups used in direction finding using an accurate computer-synthesised night sky. The cut-out hands allow you to practise using the method for finding the poles.

Instructions for the Whole Earth (kit G)

1. Start Mirapla Sky. Check that it is set for your city and country. Click "See the Stars."
2. You will see a view of the sky to the north. Look for the Big Dipper or Cassiopeia. You may have to look up with the key. If you cannot find either group of stars turn the view until you are looking south using the and keys and look for the Southern Cross.
3. If you cannot see any of them, you may need to advance the time a couple of hours until one of them rises. Advance the time with the Page-Up key.
4. Use the paper cut-out Mirapla Sky hands to find either the Pole Star or the South Celestial Pole. (In some cases you will not be able to see the Pole Star or the location of the South Celestial Pole, but you will be able to find its position below the horizon.)
5. From there decide which way is north or south.
6. There will be a label at the horizon telling you which direction you have found.
7. Repeat from step 1 using a different city and country. At minimum you will need to try from three locations; say London, Singapore, and Sydney.

The cut-out hands come from this worksheet: