Find south with an analog watch
Twenty minutes on a sunny day. Use an old-fashioned watch and the sun to find south, then see how close you came with a real compass.
- Time
- 20 min
- Cost
- $0
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Where
- Backyard or park
Since 1911: The 1911 book assumes the watch shows true sun time. During daylight saving time (second Sunday of March to first Sunday of November in most of the US) clocks run an hour ahead, so use the 1 o'clock mark where the book says 12. It gives only a rough south, so check it with a compass.
What you need
- An analog watch or clock with hands (a phone won't work)
- A magnetic compass or a phone compass to check your answer
- Paper and pencil to record your guesses
Before you start
- Never look straight at the sun. Look at the shadow of your finger or a pencil to line up the hour hand.
- Stay in the yard or park, and use sunscreen and water if it's a hot day.
Steps
- Check the clock type. Use a watch with an hour hand; if daylight saving time is on, use the 1 instead of the 12.
- Point the hour hand at the sun. Turn the watch so the hour hand points at the sun, using a pencil shadow to line it up.
- Find the halfway line. South is halfway between the hour hand and 12; count back in the afternoon.
- Mark it. Pick a landmark in the south direction and mark it with a stick.
- Check with a real compass. Hold a compass flat and see how close your stick is.
- Try another time of day. Find south again an hour later and compare.
If it stalls
- If the answer is far off, check that you used the right hour hand position for daylight saving time.
- Clouds thin enough for a faint pencil shadow still work.
Degrees off from the compass
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date