In life there are situations when people need to have knowledge of the exact time. But what to do if the person appeared in wild conditions without devices and modern gadgets? Without hours it is quite difficult to define time, but there is an opportunity to recognize it by stars, to the moon and the sun - will learn it.
To define time by the sun
First of all it is necessary to pay attention to position of the sun. If you are in the northern hemisphere, it is necessary to rise the person on the South if in southern - the person on the North. If there is no compass, it is possible to define parts of the world as follows: the sun ascends in the east and sets in the west. If you face on the South, the East will be at the left if you face on the North, the East will be on the right.
If the sun is in the sky on the center, means 12 hours now - midday. Deviations for one or one and a half hours are possible, everything depends on your position of rather time zone.
If the sun is not on the center of a sky, it will be necessary to make some calculations for definition of time:
- In the morning the sun is on east part of a sky, and at noon - on western. It is necessary to divide mentally the sky into two identical parts, the zenith - the highest point of the sky will be a divider of parts.
- Now it is necessary to understand how many hours are between rising and a sunset. The quantity will depend on location and season. Days are shorter in the winter - 10 hours somewhere, are longer in the summer - 14 hours. In the fall and in the spring daylight makes about 12 hours.
- Further it is necessary to divide a trajectory of the sun into segments. It is the simplest to present mentally an arch on which the sun moves from the East the West, appearing and disappearing on the horizon. Divide a mental arch into the quantity of pieces equal to a number of hours of light day. For example, if day consists of 12 hours, then 6 of them will be located on east part of an arch and 6 on western!
- If it is heavy to divide an arch into parts, it is possible to use fists or a hand (or some make-shifts). Touching fists, count the number of fists from the beginning of an arch to a zenith. This figure will be a half of day. If 9 fists are counted, but at the same time you know that day consists of 12 hours, then according to 9 fists = to 6 hours. To learn how many each fist presents to time, divide hours into fists. So, we divide 6 hours into 9 fists, it turns out 2/3 (about 40 minutes).
- Define in what of segments of an arch there is the sun (one piece is one hour). The number of pieces from east beginning of an arch to the sun will also be time. The rest from the sun till the western end of an arch are the hours which remained to a sunset. It can be first a little complicated, but over time you learn to define time without special efforts.
To determine time by the moon
Pay attention to the moon. If the moon full, then a way works and something is similar to the way "Define Time by the Sun". If the moon it is not visible (new moon), then this option to use will not turn out.
Present the moon in the form of the correct circle, divide it into vertical strips. The quantity of strips will be equal to number of night hours. The first hour is the first strip on the right, and the last hour is the last strip at the left. The number of hours will depend on location and season.
It is necessary to consider from right to left. Define the line on the moon which crosses border between its dark and light parts. Count from right to left number of this line. If the moon passes from a light part to dark, then number of a strip with crossing will let know when there is a calling of the moon (will sit down in the West). Number of a strip of transition from a dark part to light will prompt when there is moonrise (will appear in the east).
Now define where there is the moon in the sky. Divide, as in way with the sun, the imagined arch into segments. For example, night lasts 12 hours, means do 12 pieces. Now there are two options:
- If moonrise time is defined, consider how many it already passed pieces. Add time of moonrise to this number and you receive the current time.
- If time of calling of the moon is defined, consider how many it is necessary to it pieces before the calling in the West. Then take away time of calling of the moon from this number and receive the current time.
To determine time by stars
Let's define where in the sky there is a constellation Big Dipper. It being possible to make it only in the northern hemisphere, at a clear sky. In the summer it is located closer to the horizon.
Now it is necessary to determine approximate time. Two stars of Big Dipper are on one line with the Pole Star. This line will serve as an arrow. The pole star will carry out at the same time the center of hypothetical hours. The tag of 6 hours will be is from below hours, and 12 from above. Other temporary marks are also finished drawing by imagination. What is shown by the imagined arrow if to look at the North? Let's say 2:30 - it will be approximate time.
Further it is necessary to add to this figure on 1 hour for every month after March 7. That is, if on the calendar on May 7, it is necessary to add 2 more hours. 4:30 will turn out. To specify an indicator, it is necessary to add or subtract two minutes per every day to or after March 7. If today on February 2 is exactly 1 month and 5 days till March 7. From this it follows that it is necessary to subtract 1 hour 10 minutes from approximate time.
Date when determining time is important on March 7 because this day the sidereal clock shows midnight - exactly 12 hours. Therefore of this reference date it is easy to adjust time.