Orientation methods. Orientation with a watch.

Orientation methods. Orientation by watch.

First of all, it is essential that the watch is on solar time or that we carry out the process by mentally setting the hour hand to the corresponding solar time. The official time will depend on the country and the season of the year and usually varies by one or two hours from solar time.

This method is not applicable in the area between the tropics as the result will vary according to the time of year and at certain times the position of the sun will be practically vertical, casting no shadows. Something similar occurs in summer in the central hours of the day and the closer to the tropics.

If we are in the northern hemisphere

If we are in the northern hemisphere, we will proceed as follows: we will keep the watch in a horizontal position, we will point the hour hand at the sun. Next we will imagine a line that passes through 12 and 6 o'clock. The bisector of the angle that the hour hand forms with that 12-6 line will indicate south. Remember that the bisector of an angle is the line that divides that angle into two equal parts.

In the opposite direction you will find the north. To find the east and west we will position ourselves facing north, to our right will be the east and to our left the west.

If we are in the southern hemisphere

If we are in the southern hemisphere, we should point to the sun with the number 12, instead of the hour hand, and in this case the bisector of the angle formed by the line 12-6 with the hour hand will mark the north.

South will be in the opposite direction.

If we don't have a needle clock

If you don't have a clock with needle but you know the time, you can always draw it on a piece of paper, on the ground or using twigs.