Azimuth in geography and how to find it. Compass orientation: how to use it in the forest, how to determine the azimuth, programs for the phone. Is the azimuth useful to an ordinary person

Determination of azimuth helps in orientation on the terrain, allows you to maintain direction and not go astray when traveling through the plains, taiga and other places where there are no landmarks. Suitable for driving in the dark, in bad weather conditions, when the visibility is very low.

How to find a bearing with a map in theory

You can determine the azimuth using a topographic map (calculate the true meridian) or a compass (find the magnetic meridian). When combined, these meridians form an angle called magnetic declination. To find the true azimuth, you must first calculate the magnetic with a compass and add the east magnetic declination to the resulting value, or subtract the west declination. It is determined using a reference book, read on the card, if specified.

Calculating the bearing on the map helps to determine the direction not only for travelers on the ground. This method is used to calculate the route for aircraft and ships. Establish a trajectory for ground transport in the steppes, deserts, savannas, where there are no direction signs and other landmarks.

Determining the azimuth on the map is not difficult, it is the angle between the meridian and the direction to the place of arrival. On the map, trying to be as accurate as possible, mark the point of their location. It will be the starting coordinate for building the route.

Determination of the azimuth allows you to create the most suitable route for the features of each terrain. If there are no natural, artificial obstacles on the path of the intended movement, then the movement is straightforward. In the event of obstacles, the route is corrected as necessary, and the movement follows a broken path.

Creating a route using azimuth and map

To compose a route in azimuth and determine the trajectory of movement, you must have:

large-scale topographic map;
ruler;
pencil;
protractor, it is preferable to choose a transparent one.

To determine the azimuth on the map, the points of the present location and the final destination are indicated. A ruler is applied to the card. A connecting line is drawn between the points with a pencil, crossing it the meridians closest to the points. The base of the protractor is applied to the meridian, its arc should be directed towards the landmark (end point). The center line must be aligned with the drawn line. You can determine the azimuth at the intersection of the drawn line and the arc of the protractor by taking readings in degrees.

When determining the route, they take into account the obstacles encountered that must be skirted (deep ravines, swamps, lakes, various buildings). Turning points are marked on the map along the entire length of the route and connected. Points are placed near natural, artificial landmarks in order to better control the continuity of the route. For each segment it is necessary to find the azimuth using the method described above. If the transition is carried out at night, then the reference points on the map are put down more often.

How to determine the magnetic azimuth

Magnetic bearing is the angle between the end (defined) point of the route and the heading north. Determination of azimuth by compass is done like this:

Stand strictly in the direction of the point of movement (object).
The compass is placed on a flat surface not higher than chest level, or held in front of you on an outstretched palm.
Orient the compass, align the dark end of the magnetic needle with the letter C.
A thin stick (match) is placed on the center of the compass. Its end is directed towards the designated point. The stick is turned clockwise, not allowing it to move from the center.
Under the stick, on the limb, they look at the digital value.

You can determine the azimuth within the entire circle, its value sometimes reaches 360 degrees. The azimuth with this angle is considered to be zero.

Additionally, you can find azimuth using map and compass:

The compass is placed on the side edge of the map.
The card is turned until the top edge coincides with "C", and the side edge of the card coincides with the direction of the dark end of the magnetic arrow.
Two points are marked on the map - the starting point and the ending point, connected with a line.
The compass is moved until its center is aligned with the starting point.
The drawn line will match the numerical value of the compass.

This method allows you to find the direct magnetic bearing. For better orientation on the terrain, drawing up a route for the return, a return azimuth calculation is made. To do this, 180 degrees are subtracted or added from the obtained straight line if the found angle is greater or less than the unfolded angle, respectively.

In a similar way, the compass azimuth is determined without a map, but in this case it is necessary to represent conditional points and images in the mind, looking at the surroundings from a higher point.

Obstacle azimuth movement

When the azimuth route has impassable obstacles , then you should adhere to the following rules:

On the opposite side of the obstacle, choose the most memorable landmark that runs in the direction of travel.
Determine the azimuth to go around.
If there is no suitable landmark on the back, you need to mark it on the spot. To do this, a notch is made on the trunk of a tree, a large stick is stuck into the ground.
Go around the obstacle, find the intended landmark. From it, continue to move in azimuth, having previously checked the direction.

At zero visibility, the obstacle is bypassed using a compass, if a route has not been drawn up on the map before. Before a difficult-to-pass area, it is necessary to determine the azimuth to bypass it. Mentally mark the point from which the movement will begin. It is important to maintain linearity as you move along and count the number of pairs of steps.

Having reached the end of the obstacle, you need to turn and determine the azimuth using the compass. They continue to move further, count pairs of steps, maintain linearity. Having completely rounded the obstacle, they return to the original trajectory of movement - they calculate the reverse azimuth, observe the number of pairs of steps from the beginning of the bypass to the turning point. After returning to the route, continue the journey in the direction planned to the obstacle.

How to find the azimuth of the sun

There are situations when orientation on the terrain is necessary and apart from a wristwatch there is no available means. In this case, you need to know how determine the azimuth of the sun using the dial:

A watch is placed on a flat surface, pointing the hour hand at the sun.
A line is drawn from the center of the dial through "1", the resulting angle is halved.
The bisector drawn indicates the north-south direction. North is to the left of the sun before noon, right is in the afternoon. Therefore, before 12 o'clock, the azimuth is calculated by counting the values \u200b\u200bcounterclockwise, after 12 they are counted clockwise.
The route is made by analogy with a compass.

This allows you to determine the direction of movement with small errors. The azimuth of the sun is measured in degrees from the south to the point on the horizon at which the star is located at different times - before noon in the east, after in the west.

Measuring azimuth is one of the main tasks in orienteering. Without solving this problem, it is unlikely that it will be possible to maintain the correct direction of movement in the absence of noticeable landmarks, just as it will not be possible to solve a number of other problems related to orientation.

Usually the azimuth is determined using a protractor or compass. How to do this, we told in. And what to do if neither one nor the other tool was at hand? Is it possible to determine the azimuth without a compass on the map? Does it even make sense to determine the azimuth and, if so, how can this be done?

Do I need to determine the azimuth if there is no compass?

It is necessary, but not always.

If a person has a map of the area, and the area itself is rich in clearly visible landmarks, then in most cases it is possible to do without measuring the azimuth at all. In such cases, it is most convenient to move along the roads and paths indicated on the map, and if you go straight ahead, then to a clearly visible object on the map.

Azimuth is required if a person cannot determine the required direction of his movement at all.

However, in some situations, it will be very difficult to do without azimuth. Let's consider several such situations:

There is a map, but there are few landmarks on it, and they are poorly traced from the terrain, for example, in a dense forest. In this case, most likely, in order to achieve the goal, it will be necessary to move along the azimuths, having previously measured them.
There is no map, but there is an emergency bearing. In this case, if a person gets lost, he will have to look for the direction of movement in the emergency azimuth. We talked in detail about the emergency azimuth here.
There is no map and the value of the emergency azimuth is not known. In this case, the ability to find the direction of movement in azimuth will help to move in a straight line, and not walk in zigzags.

By the way, some people believe that in the absence of a map, determining the cardinal points and azimuth is absolutely useless. But, as we can see, this is not the case.

How to find bearing without compass and protractor

In order to measure the azimuth, you need to remember that in essence the azimuth is the angle measured clockwise relative to the north direction. This means that all the methods that we will analyze here are reduced to determining the cardinal points and angles without special tools.

Having determined the direction to the north, for example, along the Sun, it is possible with a certain accuracy to calculate the azimuth to the desired object.

How to find the direction to the north, south, east and west without a compass and navigator, we talked here and here. Now the task is to know the direction to the north, to determine the angle between it and the desired direction of movement.

The easiest way to do this is with a protractor. In this case, the protractor is placed so that its base coincides with the direction to the north, and the center point - with the point from which the azimuth will be determined. A thin long object (for example, a stick or a match) is placed on the protractor so that its top lies at the central point of the protractor, and the second top points to the direction chosen for movement or to the object to which the azimuth is determined. The angle that the stick will point to on the protractor will be the azimuth.

The inverse problem is solved in a similar way: if the azimuth is known, the protractor is laid with its base in the direction of the north, the match is placed with one end in the center, with the other at an angle equal to the azimuth. The second end in this case indicates the direction corresponding to the azimuth.

In fact, now the task comes down to finding a protractor: after all, this item does not often end up in a tourist's backpack. However, this is not a problem: the protractor can be quickly made from scrap materials.

Method number 1. Homemade paper protractor.

Such a protractor can be made in one minute and does not require special knowledge and skills from a person. In order to make it, you must:

A sheet of paper does not have to be folded in two evenly - an angle of 180 ° is obtained.
Bend the resulting figure perpendicular to the previous fold - an angle of 90 ° is obtained.
Bend the folded sheet, dividing the formed angle (90 °) in half - an angle of 45 ° is obtained.
Cut or tear off the very tip of the sharp corner of the resulting paper figure to make a hole.
Expand the sheet.

The result is a kind of paper protractor that has a hole in the center. This hole is applied to the point from which you want to measure the azimuth. In different directions from the hole there are "rays" - namina - the angular distance between which is equal to 45 °. The video shows how to do this:

Method number 2. Homemade protractor made of paper and wristwatches.

A clock with a round dial will help to draw a sheet of paper into 15 ° sectors. For this:

A sheet of paper is folded in a similar way to the previous method until a cross of two perpendicular bins is formed on it.
The clock is placed on the sheet with the dial up.
The watch is displaced and rotated so that the vertical namin on the paper crosses the numbers "6" and "12", and the horizontal - the numbers "3" and "9" on the clock face. Thus, we can say that the intersection of the namines coincides with the center of the watch dial.
A dot is put on a piece of paper near each number on the watch dial.
The clock is removed to the side, and all points on the paper are connected by segments, forming a 12-gon.
A point is put in the middle of each segment.
From the point of intersection of the namines in the direction of each of the marked points (to each corner of the polygon and the point dividing the segments in half), rays are drawn using a ruler. It turns out 24 rays.
A small hole is made in the center of the resulting drawing for the convenience of using the homemade protractor.

The resulting protractor differs from the previous one by a lower division value (15 °), which means that it can be used to measure azimuths more accurately.

Such protractors can be quickly made, but, unfortunately, azimuths other than multiples of 45 ° and 15 ° can be measured only by eye, which means that you will not have to expect great accuracy from such measurements.

Obviously, if on such protractors you make marks approximately in the middle between the namines, the distances between them are similarly cut in two, and then repeat this over and over again, you can get angles of 22.5 °, 11.5 °, 7.5 °, 3, 75 ° and so on. For the conditions of orientation on the ground, this will be enough.

If the accuracy of determining the azimuth is not critical, then these methods are quite suitable for use. In cases where it is necessary to focus on accuracy, they can be clarified using the method that will be discussed below.

Method number 3. Clarifying.

This method is in addition to the first two. With its help, you can specify the angle if it lies outside the scale of division of the homemade protractor.

This method is based on the knowledge that at a distance of 57 centimeters from the observer, a distance of 1 centimeter has an angular length corresponding to approximately 1 °.

Thus, in order to clarify the azimuth, you need:

From the center of the protractor, draw a segment 57 centimeters long through the division of the protractor, as close as possible to the desired azimuth.
A similar segment should be laid along the desired azimuth, that is, from the center of the protractor to the reference point to which the azimuth must be measured.
Measure the distance between the ends of the segments obtained.
Convert the resulting length into degrees with the expectation that 1 centimeter is equal to 1 degree.
Calculate the azimuth by subtracting or adding the obtained value to the division value of the protractor, relative to which the azimuth was refined. If the desired direction is shifted counterclockwise from the mark, then the obtained value is subtracted from the mark value; if it is shifted clockwise, then it is added.

In order to get more or less accurate azimuth values, for this method it is not necessary to draw a sheet of paper with a watch: it is quite enough just to bend the sheet as described in the first method.

In general, when choosing a method for measuring azimuth without the help of special navigation aids, you need to pay attention to what kind of orientation method is used.

For example, you should not chase headlong for great accuracy if the terrain is to be crossed during daylight hours, since orientation by the Sun is in most cases a very approximate method, which means that small errors obtained when measuring azimuths can be neglected. ... If the movement along the route is planned for the night, and the method of determining the cardinal points by the Polar Star was chosen as the orientation method, then, if necessary, you can try to make the calculations more carefully.

In any case, it is better to avoid situations when you have to navigate without a compass. To prevent such situations on a hike, you need to take two compasses - the main one and a backup one - and also make sure that each participant in the hike has his own navigation device.

For the convenience of working in the field, the liquid compass is placed on a transparent plate, equipped with an angular scale, millimeter and scale rulers, and sometimes a magnifying glass for reading small map details.

How to find the azimuth on the ground?

With the help of such a compass, it is convenient to determine the azimuth to any local object.

To do this, you need to direct the compass plate to the object, the azimuth to which we want to measure. Then, without knocking out the position of the plate, rotate the compass bulb until the zero mark of the scale coincides with the north end of the arrow. The center line of the compass plate will indicate the desired azimuth on the scale.

Measuring azimuth on a map is even easier.

It is necessary to position the plate on the map so that the edge of the plate is located in the direction of the measured azimuth. Then, without moving the plates, it is necessary to turn the compass bulb so that the lines drawn on its lower side are parallel to the northern lines of the map, and the zero point of the scale is directed towards the north. The center line of the compass plate will indicate the desired azimuth on the scale.

Remember! When measuring the azimuth on the chart, you do not need to pay attention to the magnetic needle.

The fact is that when measuring the azimuth on the map, it is enough to have only a protractor, a compass is not needed. After all, it is necessary to measure the angle between two lines - the direction to the object and the northern line of the map.

Another thing is in the area where no one has drawn northern lines for us, and we need to use the help of a magnetic needle.

You will learn a little later how to use azimuth in orienteering and sports radio direction finding. But we will still consider a few examples.

For example, we need to map a factory pipe located on the other side of the river. Standing at the fork, we will measure the azimuth to the pipe. Then we take a map, put a compass on it so that the edge of the plate goes through our fork. And without knocking down the position of the capsule, turn the compass so that the lines on the bottom of the flask become parallel to the northern lines of the arrow, and 0 ° is directed towards the north. Then, with a thin pencil, draw a line across the river on the compass plate.

Now we will go along the road half a kilometer to the forester's house. Standing near the corner of the house, we repeat our actions.

Our lines will cross at some point on the other side of the river. And we can safely draw a conventional sign of the factory pipe there.

Consider now another example.

In a pine forest located not far from us, there is a forest lake of amazing beauty. But, unfortunately, there are no roads to the reserved lake. Only old-timers and a forester can find him. But we have a map. Let's measure the azimuth from the forester's house to the lake on the map. Then we take the compass in our hands (without knocking down the position of the capsule) and, directing the plate forward, turn together with the compass so that the arrow points to 0 °. It remains for us to move in the direction of the plate, making sure that the arrow points to 0 ° all the time. Then we will reach the reserved lake.

Self-study assignments.

In the yard, determine the azimuths to various objects.
Show the object indicated by the given azimuth.
Determine the azimuths to various landmarks on the map.
Determine at which checkpoint (Checkpoint is a red and white triangular prism with the size of each side 30 × 30 cm. It is indicated on the map by a circle and is installed on the ground) indicates the given azimuth.
On a map with multiple control points, connect the control points in accordance with the indicated chain of azimuths.
Record the chain of azimuths to follow the given route.
Place the command post in the yard. Follow the route specified by the chain of azimuths, write down the control panel numbers.
Moving from control to control in a given order, write down the chain of azimuths.
Posted by Alexey Abramov kontur.tk
1.4. Scale concept. Measuring distances on the ground and on the map.

Recall the material in paragraph 1.2. It talked about the most important properties of the card. One of them read: all objects on the map are reduced in comparison with the corresponding terrain objects in the same number of times. And how many times is the map reduced in comparison with the terrain? Probably, different maps are reduced in different ways. The value characterizing the degree of reduction of the map is called scale.

The scale of the map is a fraction, the numerator of which is one, and the denominator is a value that shows how many times the map objects are reduced in comparison with the corresponding terrain objects.

The scale of the map is indicated in the out-of-frame format. Knowing the scale allows us to measure distances on the map and translate them into distances on the ground. In the example discussed in the previous paragraph, we, moving to the forest lake, did not know how far to go to it. What if we deviated from the azimuth and the lake has long been behind? This question would not arise if we, having measured the distance from the forester's house to the lake on the map, calculated this distance on the ground.

If necessary show the scale on the map? How else? After all, if, scale is not indicated on the map, it is impossible to determine the distance on the map.

Let the scale of the map be 1: 15000. This means that all terrain distances are reduced by 15,000 times when mapped. Consequently, the distances measured on the map, when transferring to the terrain, must be increased 15000 times. Each centimeter of the map is 15,000 centimeters on the ground, or 150 meters. Thus, for a map with a scale of 1: 15000, 1 cm on the map corresponds to 150 meters on the ground, and 1 mm corresponds to 15 meters.

How to convert the distance measured on the map to the distance on the ground? Very simple. You need to multiply the distance in millimeters by 15 (remember, 1 mm is 15 m). And then we get the distance in meters.

Note that the scale value does not include a unit (1: 15000). This is no coincidence. The fact is that there is no difference in what units to measure, even in parrots and elephants, as it was done in the famous cartoon. The scale expression shows that 1 unit on the map, be it a millimeter, centimeter, parrot, corresponds to 15,000 of the same units on the ground (millimeters, centimeters, parrots).

For the convenience of work, we will agree to measure the distances on the map in millimeters, and on the ground in meters. Then, to convert map units to terrain units, you can use the following ratio:

Let's write the ratio in the form of a formula:

where - F (m) - distance on the ground in meters,

K (mm) - distance along the map in millimeters, M - scale denominator.

For those who are especially curious, I will write about scale measurement... Let's say you have a map that you want to scale. Measuring scale may also be needed when working with drawings, plans and diagrams. Measure scale not simple, but very simple. It is necessary to select some segment on the ground, such that it can be unambiguously identified on the map. Measure the length of the segment on the ground, then measure it on the map. After that, it is necessary to bring the measurement results to the same unit (for example, in mm) and divide the measurement result on the map by the measurement result on the ground. This will be the scale in the form of a decimal fraction.

Well, if you need to imagine measured scale in the traditional form, the length of a segment on the ground must be divided by the length of the same segment on the map. And we get the denominator of the scale - what is written after the unit with a colon. Most likely due to errors in measuring scale the number will not be round and will need to be rounded to the nearest nice number.

Azimuth - This is the angle formed at a given point on the ground or on the map between the direction to the north and the direction to any object. The azimuth is used when moving in, in the mountains, or in conditions of poor visibility, when it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to compare the map with the terrain and navigate along it. With the help of azimuth, the direction of movement of ships and aircraft is also determined.

The azimuths are counted from the direction of the arrow (from its northern end) along the arrow from 0 ° to 360 °, in other words, from the magnetic meridian of this point. If the object is located exactly to the north from the observer, then its azimuth is 0 °, if in the east - 90 °, in the south - 180 °, in the west - 270 °. When observing with a compass, the magnetic bearing is measured.

To determine the azimuth, the compass is positioned so that 0 ° on the dial and the letter "C" point exactly to the north, that is, orient the compass to the sides. Making sure that the compass box remains stationary and the needle does not leave the 0 ° compartment, it is necessary to rotate a special sighting device and direct its front sight to an object whose azimuth must be determined. Next, you need to notice about which digit on the degree circle of the compass the pointer stopped. The reading on the pointer is in degrees and will be equal to the azimuth of the given object. If the compass does not have a sighting device, it must be replaced with a thin stick. It is placed on the compass glass so that it passes through the center of the dial and is directed at the object, the azimuth of which must be determined.

The figure shows the compass azimuth calculation examples of determining the azimuth for some local objects: on the poles of the power line it is 50 °, to the house - 135 °, to the intersection of roads - 210 °, to a free-standing coniferous tree - 330 °. When recording, the azimuth is indicated by the letter A, then degrees are written (A \u003d 330 °).

The azimuth is determined not only on the ground, but also on the map. True azimuth is defined as the angle between the direction of the geographic meridian passing through a given point and the direction toward an object. Geographic and magnetic poles do not match. Therefore, there is a declination of the magnetic needle. It can be western or eastern. When working on the ground, it has to be taken into account in the same way as when working with a map. The magnetic declination at a given time is indicated outside the frame. Using this, you can easily convert the azimuth from magnetic to true and vice versa.

To measure azimuths on the ground, it is more convenient to use a kind of compass - compass. Its main difference from the compass is that the compass has a sighting device, that is, the exact determination of the direction to a particular point in the terrain. These are usually slots in the vertical compass plates. A thin hair is pulled in one of these slots.

If a person finds himself in an emergency situation far from civilization, then the ability to determine the azimuth becomes extremely necessary for orientation and survival. Azimuth is the angle between the desired feature and the heading north. You may need it for orientation in space, and for this you need to know the direction of the parts of the world. As you know, the main directions are North, South, West, East.

What is the ability to find the azimuth for?

Anyone can cope with determining the azimuth by compass, but the device may be faulty or not be with you at the right time. Therefore, you should know how you can find the azimuth in other ways.

Nowadays, the coverage of a mobile network or the Internet is by no means everywhere, so you should not rely on a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device. Moreover, the gadget may be discharged or completely absent.

Determining the azimuth on the map is taught in geography in middle school. For this, a protractor, a pencil and maps of the area are used. But it is unlikely that in an unforeseen situation in the forest, all these items can be with them. There are many other methods for determining azimuth.

Who can use the azimuth route

Mariners, aviators, members of the military and other people, often in uncivilized areas, know how to determine azimuth as well as their name.

In other cases, this skill is required first of all for people who prefer outdoor activities: lovers of kayaking on rough rivers, fans of snowboarding and skiing, fishermen, mushroom pickers and herbalists, hikers and other lovers of wildlife.

However, one day a city dweller may also need to find the azimuth, for example, moving from one settlement to another. After all, the road is unpredictable, and anything can happen. Or in the event of a liner, train or any other crash.

No one can neglect such knowledge, because one day orienteering can save life.

Orientation to the cardinal points

No. 1: By the Sun

Sunrise locations vary depending on the season. But at noon, upon reaching the highest point of ascent (zenith), our star is always in the South. To find the azimuth of the Sun, you must turn your back to it. Then there will be South in front, East on the right, and West on the left.

In this case, two important nuances should be kept in mind: firstly, in the southern hemisphere, the determination of the azimuth will be the opposite method; second, noon should be local time. If there is no clock, then you should measure the moment when the shadow will be the shortest. To do this, at short intervals, you can make marks on the ground.

No. 2: By Sun and Clock

When there is no opportunity to wait for noon, you can determine the azimuth by the Sun and the analogue clock. The watch should be placed horizontally, the hour hand should be on the Sun. Then divide in half the angle between this hand and the midday hour ("12"). The median line will point to the South. It is also important to know the local time here, otherwise the direction indication will be incorrect.

No. 3: Along the North Star

Almost everyone is able to determine the location of the Ursa Minor in the starry sky. The closing element in the tail of the constellation and at the same time the brightest point in our sky is the North Star. With its help, movement in azimuth is extremely simple: if you keep the course directly to it, then the direction will be to the North.

# 4: Along the constellation of the Southern Cross

If the traveler is in the southern hemisphere of the planet, in good weather it will be easy to find a constellation consisting of 4 large stars arranged in the form of a cross. To find the azimuth, you need to determine the intersection of two straight lines: you should mentally draw the first line through the two stars lying to the left of the Southern Cross, and the second through the constellation along the long side. You will get an arrow pointing to the South.

It is more difficult to calculate the azimuth along the Moon, but as a rule, this is not required, because if the weather is not cloudy, then finding the "Small Bucket" and the Polar Star is as easy as finding an earthly satellite.

Even in bad weather and with no compass, no mobile device, no map, no watch, you can always determine the azimuth in the wild by natural signs.

No. 5: By deciduous trees

The bark of most trees from the north is rougher and less elastic. And in birches, the southern side of the trunks is lighter than the rest. At the same time, to correct the route in azimuth, you need to consider not one, but several closely spaced trees.

The crown of trees in a thin forest is more luxurious from the south. In relation to the deaf person, the sign “does not work”, because due to the close proximity to each other, the trees try to find any path from the shadow to the sun, and this can be any part of the world. The same applies to heavily blown areas: a tree can save its crown by directing its growth in the opposite direction from the priority direction of the winds.

No. 6: By coniferous trees

The cracked pine bark above is located along the northern part of the trunk. Coniferous resin is more abundant in the direction of the south.

No. 7: By hole

The holes of the trees are stretched to the south.

No. 8: By forest type

Fir and spruce grows in the mountains on the northern side, while oak and pine prefer the southern slopes.

No. 9: Along the anthill

It is easy to orient the direction of movement in azimuth by the anthill: they are located south of the nearest tree, stump, stone or shrub, and the southern side is always flatter, in contrast to the northern one - the steepest.

No. 10: By berries and fruits

Fruit trees, as well as berries, ripen faster on the south side.

No. 11: By color

Flowers love sunlight and always turn to it. For example, a sunflower never "looks" north.

No. 12: Mushrooms

Mushrooms grow on the northern side of trees, bushes or logs, on the southern side they can also appear, but much less often.

No. 13: By moss

From the north, hemp, as well as roof decking, are covered with moss, fungus or lichen more intensely than on the other sides.

No. 14: In the snow

Snow melts faster on the southern slopes. It is also possible to adjust the movement in azimuth in winter or spring by the texture of the upper layer of snow: the looser one lies near the northern part of a separately growing tree. From the south, it is covered with ice more quickly, since the sun's rays fall on it, the snow melts and turns into ice at night.

No. 15: By stones

On the north side, the stones are more abundantly covered with moss and fungi.

No. 16: By the Birds

Migratory birds go north in spring and south in autumn.

No. 17: By soil

If in summer the soil near buildings, large boulders, trees and bushes is wet to the touch, then the side is north. If it is absolutely dry, then this is the south. In the early morning and late evening, the method is useless due to the dew produced.

No. 18: On the grass

In summer, the northern outskirts of the meadows have greener and more juicy grass than the southern ones, since they are in the shade and do not fade in the sun.

No. 19: By buildings

Azimuth movement can be carried out in churches, synagogues, chapels, mosques or other religious buildings, since they are strictly oriented to the parts of the world. The upper part of the diagonal crossbar of the Cross, located on the dome of the Orthodox Church, points to the north, respectively, the lower part to the south. The altar of the Catholic Church is located at the western wall, and the altar in the Lutheran Church is located in the east. The main doors of Buddhist monasteries are located in the south, while synagogues and mosques are in the north.

In old villages, houses were built with living rooms closer to the southeast, and there are more windows on such sides. In addition, paint will fade and peel off faster on southern walls.

The entrance to the yurt is more often organized from the south, so that less frosty wind gets inside the structure.

No. 20: On other grounds

In forest clearings, rectangular pillars are installed, at the top of which there are inscriptions. The edge between the 2 small-numbered faces indicates the north direction.

There are many more ways of orienting on the ground, and in order to correctly determine the azimuth, it is necessary to analyze all the available signs in aggregate. Don't rely on a couple of coincidences. Having determined the route in azimuth, you need to regularly monitor yourself so as not to go astray and go in a circle. When going on a vacation in the wild, you should always carry the most necessary navigational aids and tools with you, even if you are not planning a long hike.