How to tell time by the sky. How time was determined before. Daytime and evening time are indicated on the clock as follows:

HOW TO DETERMINE THE TIME WITHOUT A CLOCK. For many people, knowing the exact time is vital. If you suddenly find yourself in conditions where survival and your own safety are at stake, the ability to tell time (if you don’t have a watch) will be extremely useful. Agree, it is difficult to guess the exact time without a watch, but we will try not to guess it, but to determine it by the sun, moon and stars. I. Determining time by the sun 1. Determine the position of the sun: If you are in the northern hemisphere, face south; if you are in the southern hemisphere, face north (If you do not have a compass with you, use the following methods for determining the parts of the world). Look at the equator - the line between heaven and earth, where the sun rises and sets. As you know, the sun rises in the East (which will be on the left if you are facing South, and on the right if you are facing North) and sets in the West. If the sun is exactly in the center in the sky, then it is noon - 12:00. But there are a number of deviations that depend on daylight saving time and your location relative to the time zone. If the sun is not exactly centered in the sky, you will have to make several calculations. In the morning the sun is in the eastern part of the sky, at noon - in the western part. Mentally divide the sky into equal parts, then you can find out the approximate time. 2. Calculate the number of hours between sunrise and sunset: This number depends on the time of year and your location. In winter the days are shorter (about 10 hours), in summer they are longer (about 14 hours). In spring and autumn, the day length is approximately 12 hours, especially in the period close to the solstice (late March and late September). 3. Divide the path of the sun into segments: Look at the equator and imagine the arc along which the sun moves - from East to West, starting and ending its path on the horizon. Visually divide this arc into equal segments, the number of which will coincide with the number of hours of daylight. For example, if you believe that the approximate length of a day is 12 hours, then you should divide the arc into 12 equal segments: 6 on the eastern half, 6 on the western. 4. Determine in which segment the sun is located: It will not be difficult to determine this. As mentioned above, one segment is one hour. Therefore, the number of all segments, starting from the eastern side, to the one in which the sun is now located, will correspond to the approximate time. The remaining number of segments on the western side will tell you how many hours are left until sunset. II. Telling time by the moon Find the moon: If the moon is full, follow the same instructions for telling time by the sun. If there is a new moon in front of you, then this method will not work. 2. Imagine the moon as a circle and visually divide it into vertical stripes: The number of vertical stripes should coincide with the number of night hours, where the first hour will be a stripe on the right side, and the last one on the left. As mentioned earlier, the number of night hours depends on the time of year and your location. Let's assume there are 12 of them - from 18:00 to 6:00. 3. Count from right to left: Notice where the moon line crosses the border between the light and dark parts. Calculate which stripe it is. If you started counting from right to left, and the moon moves from the light part to the dark part, the stripe where the intersection occurred will indicate when the moon sets in the West (moonset). Otherwise, the transition from a dark stripe to a light one will tell you when the moon will appear in the East (moonrise). For example, the intersection occurred in the strip indicating the time 20:00 when transitioning from the dark part to the light part. This means that the moon will set in the West at 20:00. The moon in the picture on the left will set approximately 7-8 hours after sunset. That is, if the sun disappeared from the horizon at 19:00, then you can expect the moon to set at 2:00-3:00 in the morning. If the moon is a thin rim located on the right side, it will set within 1-2 hours after nightfall. Conversely, if the moon looks like a thin line located in a semicircle on the left side, then it will rise 1-2 hours before sunrise. You can expect the night to end within 1-2 hours. 4. Determine the position of the moon in the sky: Divide the moon's path into segments, as is the case with the sun. Let us assume that the duration of the night will be 12 hours, therefore, we will divide the trajectory into 12 equal segments. If you know the time of moonrise, estimate how many visual segments it has already passed. Add the moonrise time to this time and you will get the current time. For example, you know that the moon appeared at 21:00 and is currently in the middle of a segment of 12 hours, which means that it has already passed 6 segments in the sky. 6 hours after sunrise at 21:00 we get the current time - 3:00 am. If you know the time of moonset, determine how many segments of the visual trajectory it needs to travel before it sets in the West. Let's say the moon sets at 2:00 am. If there are 2 segments left to the western end of the moon’s trajectory, it means that it will set in 2 hours. Thus, 2 hours before moonset is the current time 12:00 am (midnight). III. Determining time by stars 1. Determine the position of the constellation Ursa Major: This can only be done if you are in the northern hemisphere, provided that the sky is cloudless. In summer, the constellation Ursa White is located closer to the horizon. 2. Set the approximate time: Two stars in the constellation Ursa Major are located in line with the North Star. This line will act as a clock hand with the North Star at the center of the visual clock. Looking north, 12 will be at the top of the clock and 6 at the bottom. Now let's use our imagination to draw a circle with these hour indicators. What time is it now? Let's say the needle shows 2:30. This is an approximate time. 3. Add one hour for each month after the date of March 7th: For example, if the calendar says May 7th, then you need to add 2 hours to the approximate time. We get 4:30. To achieve accuracy, add or subtract two minutes for each day after or before the 7th of the month. For example, today is February 2 – one month and five days until March 7. Thus, you must subtract one hour and ten minutes from the time indicated on the starry sky of 2:30. We get 1:20. The reason we are forced to focus our attention on the date March 7 is that it is on this day that the sidereal clock shows exactly 12:00 at midnight, therefore, this is our reference date against which we adjust the time on the sidereal clock. 4.Daylight Saving Time: You also need to adjust the time depending on the time zone you are in and if daylight saving time occurs. If you set the clock to daylight saving time, you need to add one hour to the approximate time. If you live near the western edge of your time zone, add half an hour. Conversely, if you are near the eastern edge of your time zone, subtract half an hour. Now you can determine the time with relative accuracy. Some useful tips: If you have the necessary material and time, you can build a sundial. It will be quite difficult to tell the time from the sun if you are in a region where there is little difference between day and night time. For example, when the sun does not set throughout the summer. Remember to adjust the time according to daylight saving time. Don't bother determining the exact time as it also depends on the latitude and longitude of your location

Almost any modern mobile device or gadget has a built-in clock and, if necessary, will never let you forget about the current time. It is already difficult for many people to imagine their life outside this environment, but if you wish, you can always try. For example, several thousand years ago, when mechanical watches had not yet been invented, time was determined by the sun.

Ancient people noticed that many processes in nature are cyclical and repeat themselves at certain intervals. The movement of the sun also applies to such events. Having studied its character, our ancestors learned to measure time with sufficient accuracy. It is not difficult to gain access to this knowledge; you just need to turn to the clues of the environment.

1. First, determine the sides of the horizon. From school geography we know that moss on trees grows most densely on the north side, and large anthills under the trees are on the south.
   
2. Face the South (this is advice for those living in the northern hemisphere) - the East will be on your left. Residents of the southern hemisphere should face the North.
   
3. Draw an imaginary arc along which the sun moves from East to West.
   
4. Calculate the approximate length of daylight - how many hours pass between sunrise and sunset. (In summer - 14 hours, in winter about 10).
   
5. Divide this arc into the number of segments - hours, let it be 12 (let's say that we are walking in spring or autumn). When divided, it turns out that 6 hours (segments) will be on the eastern side of your arc, and the remaining 6 on the western side.
   
6. All that remains is to mentally count the segments and find out approximately what time it is.
   

If the imaginary arc is not as easy as you would like, you can use available materials to build a sundial.

1. Find a flat surface, free of holes, hummocks and debris. Draw a cross on the ground, the rays of which will be the sides of the horizon.
   
2. If you had a compass, then a compass needle pointing both north and 180 degrees would indicate noon on your homemade clock. Accordingly, 270 degrees would indicate 18 o'clock in the evening, and 90 degrees would indicate the time of sunrise - 6 am.
   
3. But since the compass is not always at hand, we advise you to simply remember that west is 6 am, north is 12 o’clock, east is 6 pm.
   
4. Place a stick in the center of the cross, by the shadow of which you can easily determine the time of day. The main thing is that the sun does not go behind the clouds.
   
5. One more detail is very important - the sundial shows local time, so an adjustment is needed related to the standard latitude of the time zone in which you are located, and if there was a transition to summer (or winter) time in your area, then this difference should be taken into account.
   

Anyone can find themselves in a situation where their mobile phone is dead and the receiver does not pick up a radio network signal. Being in a deserted area, it is quite difficult to navigate in time, especially if you get lost in the forest.

To prevent such situations, it is necessary to have basic tourist skills and the ability to make do with available means in order to navigate the space. Let's look at the main ways to determine time without using a watch.

How to tell time by the sun.

Sunrise is usually celebrated at 6 o'clock in the morning in the east. In the southwest it is at 9 am. By 12 o'clock the sun moves south. This hourly interval can also be determined by the shortest shadow from the trees. A position in the southwest indicates 3 pm and a position in the west indicates 6 pm. If you are in the polar region, the sun can be seen in the north at midnight.

This method works differently in equatorial regions. The location of the sun at noon may not be in the south, but in the north.

How to tell time during the day using a compass

This must be done in clear weather. The movement of the Sun across the sky is about 15 degrees per hour. We measure the azimuth to the Sun. The resulting number of degrees must be divided by 15. Thus, we get the current time of day. If you are in Russia, add another 2 hours to the received time.

How to tell time at night using a compass

We set the compass dial “north” to the Moon. We calculate the number of degrees on the compass from the red (northern) tip of the arrow to the set dial. As a result, we have the azimuth of the Moon. It must be divided by 15 (degrees) and added one.

But that is not all. Let us accept the full disk of the Moon as 12 parts of a single whole. When the sky is completely clear, “by eye” we determine the number of visible lobes and add to the amount obtained earlier. This is the current time. If it is more than “24”, subtract the number “24” from the resulting amount. Time received.

Watching the plants

For example, dandelions begin to open their buds around 6 am. They close at three to four o'clock in the afternoon. The famous coltsfoot plant wakes up much later - from 10 to 11 am. It starts closing after six in the evening. If you are watching the wonderful night violet open, it is now about 9 o'clock in the evening. While near a pond, watch the water lilies. They wake up around 9 am and fall asleep at 19-20 pm.

Birds

If we take the well-known titmouses and sparrows, then by their morning chirping you can also determine the morning time. So tits start looking for food from 5 am, and sparrows sleep an hour longer.

For many people, knowing the exact time is vital. If you suddenly find yourself in conditions where survival and your own safety are at stake, the ability to tell time (if you don’t have a watch) will be extremely useful.

Agree, it is difficult to guess the exact time without a watch, but we will try not to guess it, but to determine it by the sun, moon and stars.

I. Determining time by the sun

1. Determine the position of the sun:

If you are in the northern hemisphere, face south; if you are in the southern hemisphere, face north (If you do not have a compass with you, use the following methods for determining the parts of the world). Look at the equator - the line between heaven and earth, where the sun rises and sets. As you know, the sun rises in the East (which will be on the left if you are facing South, and on the right if you are facing North) and sets in the West.

If the sun is exactly in the center in the sky, then it is noon - 12:00. But there are a number of deviations that depend on daylight saving time and your location relative to the time zone.

If the sun is not exactly centered in the sky, you will have to make several calculations. In the morning the sun is in the eastern part of the sky, at noon - in the western part. Mentally divide the sky into equal parts, then you can find out the approximate time.

2. Calculate the number of hours between sunrise and sunset:

This amount depends on the time of year and your location. In winter the days are shorter (about 10 hours), in summer they are longer (about 14 hours). In spring and autumn, the day length is approximately 12 hours, especially in the period close to the solstice (late March and late September).

3. Divide the sun's path into segments:

Look at the equator and imagine the arc along which the sun moves - from East to West, starting and ending its course on the horizon. Visually divide this arc into equal segments, the number of which will coincide with the number of hours of daylight. For example, if you believe that the approximate length of a day is 12 hours, then you should divide the arc into 12 equal segments: 6 on the eastern half, 6 on the western.

4. Determine which segment the sun is in:

It won't be difficult to determine this. As mentioned above, one segment is one hour. Therefore, the number of all segments, starting from the eastern side, to the one in which the sun is now located, will correspond to the approximate time. The remaining number of segments on the western side will tell you how many hours are left until sunset.

II. Determining time by the moon

1. Find the moon:

If the moon is full, follow the same instructions for telling time using the sun. If there is a new moon in front of you, then this method will not work.

Two stars in the constellation Ursa Major are located in line with the North Star. This line will act as a clock hand with the North Star at the center of the visual clock. Looking north, 12 will be at the top of the clock and 6 at the bottom. Now let's use our imagination to draw a circle with these hour indicators. What time is it now? Let's say the needle shows 2:30. This is an approximate time.

For example, if the calendar says May 7th, then you need to add 2 hours to the approximate time. We get 4:30. To achieve accuracy, add or subtract two minutes for each day after or before the 7th of the month. For example, today is February 2 – one month and five days until March 7. Thus, you must subtract one hour and ten minutes from the time indicated on the starry sky of 2:30. We get 1:20.

The reason we are forced to focus our attention on the date March 7 is that it is on this day that the sidereal clock shows exactly 12:00 at midnight, therefore, this is our reference date against which we adjust the time on the sidereal clock.

4.Summer time:

You will also need to adjust the time depending on the time zone you are in and if daylight saving time occurs. If you set the clock to daylight saving time, you need to add one hour to the approximate time. If you live near the western edge of your time zone, add half an hour. Conversely, if you are near the eastern edge of your time zone, subtract half an hour. Now you can determine the time with relative accuracy.

Some useful tips:

• If you have the necessary material and time, you can build a sundial.
• It will be quite difficult to tell the time from the sun if you are in a region where there is little difference between day and night time. For example, when the sun does not set throughout the summer.
• Remember to adjust the time according to daylight saving time.
• Don't bother figuring out the exact time as it also depends on the latitude and longitude of your location.

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Although, unlike space, people can move in time only in one direction and at one speed, the ability to navigate in time has never bothered anyone. Watches, like any mechanisms created by people, break down too often to be relied upon outside the reach of a watch workshop. And the sun, moon, and stars have been showing time for billions of years without stopping and have never failed.

Let's start with a few numbers. The Earth moves at a speed of 29.8 km/sec in an orbit 930 million km long. The tilt of the earth's axis relative to the plane of rotation is 66° 5″. It determines the maximum angle at which the Sun rises above the horizon and leads to the change of seasons. The period of revolution of the Earth around the Sun is 365 days and 6 hours. These same 6 hours lead to the need to arrange a leap year every 4 years.

The duration of the true (solar) day, i.e. day along with night, varies somewhat throughout the year depending on the time interval between the Sun’s returns to the meridian. The longest true day occurs on December 22; it is longer than the shortest true day on June 22 by 51.2 seconds. Well, it’s true that such accuracy is needed more in an observatory than in a forest.

21 March The sun is at its zenith at the equator, rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west - this is the day of the vernal equinox, the astronomical beginning of spring “the morning of the year”.

22nd of June- day of the summer solstice. The sun moves north from the equator by 23’5″; this day is the longest; the sun rises to its maximum height for a given latitude.

Everything is very simple. To carry out accurate observations of the Sun and determine the date, all that remains is to build something similar in size to an Egyptian pyramid and you will be perfectly oriented in months, weeks and even days.

To determine hours and minutes, you can get by with simpler instruments

Determining time by the sun

• 6 morning - in the East
• 9 morning - in the South-West
• 12 – in the South, the shortest shadow
• 15 - in the South-West
• 18 - in the West
• 24 – the sun is in the North, don’t rush to smile, the sun is not visible “at night” everywhere. In the polar regions, at midnight it simply occupies the lowest position above the horizon.

In equatorial regions the opposite is true. Determining west or east at sunset or dawn is very simple. But at noon it can be both in the north and in the south.

Determining time by the Sun and compass

Just remember that the Sun moves across the sky at a speed of 15 degrees per hour. In order to determine the time using a compass, we measure the azimuth to the sun, let’s say it is 90°. Then 90° must be divided by 15° per hour, we get 6.

For Russia, it is necessary to take into account maternity time, i.e. add 1 hour, in addition, now in almost all countries of the northern hemisphere summer time will be introduced for the summer period, i.e. one more hour is added.

This means plus one hour (maternity time) and we get 7 hours. Or, for example, the azimuth to the Sun is 180°, which means the time will be 12 hours + 1 hour (for maternity leave) = 13 hours.

Determining time by the moon

Some introductory information. The lunar month is somewhat shorter than what is usual for Europeans and is 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes, i.e. The phases of the moon replace each other in approximately 29.5 days.

New moon– beginning of the month: in this phase the Moon is not visible

First quarter– a visible crescent moon is observed half a circle in the first half of the night, setting in the middle of the night.

Full moon— The moon is observed in the form of a disk-circle, rises in the evening and sets in the morning, i.e. shines all night.

Last quarter– the moon is observed half a circle in the second half of the night, rising in the middle of the night.

Determining time using the moon and compass

Let's say the moon is arriving. Let's point north on the compass dial to the Moon (with the letter C to the Moon), count the degrees from the northern end of the magnetic needle to this direction. We get the azimuth of the Moon (for example 270) then divide it by 15 and add 1

We determine that the visible part of the Moon is 5 shares of its diameter, based on the calculation that the full disk is 12 shares. Then we add them 19 + 5 = 24 - this is the time we are interested in. If the amount is > 24, subtract 24 from it.

During the full moon you should do the same. For example, azimuth = 90

7 + 12 = 19 – i.e. It's 19:00 (7:00 pm)

And if the Moon is waning, you need to do the same thing, but subtract the count in fractions of the visible disk of the Moon.

Orientation in time by stars

Determining time by the constellation Ursa Major.
Each star and any point in the sky makes a full circle in 23 hours 56 minutes.

The sidereal day is the basic unit of time, and its duration remains constant all the time.

Sidereal time is unsuitable for calculation due to the fact that the beginning of the sidereal day during the year passes to different times of the day or night.

When the constellation is below it roughly corresponds to 6 o'clock. Sidereal clock hand., because Since all the stars rotate in the sky not exactly 24 hours, but ~4 minutes faster, then the sidereal clock readings decrease by 1 conventional hour every month.

Therefore, the hand of the star clock dial points to midnight

• 6 conventional hours September 22, 12 conventional hours March 22
• 5 conventional hours October 22, 11 conventional hours. April 22
• 4 conventional hours November 22 10 conventional hours 22nd of May
• 3 conventional hours December 22 9 conventional hours 22nd of June
• 2 conventional hours January 22 8 conventional hours July 22
• 1 conventional h. February 22 7 conventional hours August 22

Let's say that a traveler decides to find out when it is midnight on November 7th. From the table, he will determine that November 7 is between October 22 and November 22, and on this day the hand of the sidereal clock should show 4.5 conventional hours.

Determining how much time is on the road is even easier. What time does the sidereal clock show at the beginning and at the end?

To convert sidereal hours to real hours, you need to double the resulting number.

The hand of the sidereal clock shows 1 conventional. hour. According to the table we find that at midnight 7.11. The hand showed 4.5 o'clock. Therefore 4.5-1=3.5 arb. =7 hours

Another way to define

Determining time by the movement of stars

• 15 Jan and July 5 at 7 and 7 p.m.
• 15 Feb. and 15 Aug 21 hours
• March 15 and September 15 23 hours
• 15 Apr And 15 Oct. 1 hour
• May 15 and November 15 3 hours
• June 15 and December 15 5 and 17 o'clock

Definition of time intervals

By plants and birds