It should always settle to the same direction. 6. There is a similar version that is more precise if you have a few hours to wait, but the difference in precision is not worth the wait - its mostly just for fun and takes two people. Magnetic declination changes over time and with location. more, More: Geomagnetism Frequently Asked Questions. The animation is not supported by your device/browser. In cases like this a GPS might be our only hope. camping trip on a hike and take a wrong turn but thankfully you said stuf that Permalink Notice: Night Sky for Berlin, Germany. They may not work indoors or around interference (like power lines) Mercury is just 14 degrees from the Sun in the sky, so it is difficult to see. Let the needle hang freely and slide the thread to a point on the needle where it balances level. Here is an example of a GPS device that will geotag images with both location and heading information. Over the years as an adult, I’ve discovered I have what most people would call a good “sense of direction”. At this point it’s rather easy to locate almost exactly where we might have been standing when the pano was taken (noted with a red dot). We may not have access to a compass/GPS Pole Locations. It’s thus a good idea to take note of landmarks. Declination is positive east of true north and negative when west. how would I find my way home...I could by the stars but could I do it any other way please? Get another small stick or pebble and place it exactly on the end of the shadow line. Note here that if we purposefully take our first image directly north then this exercise of recording our heading is done and we needn’t do anything further as north will already be correct. The Heading tool to do this looks like this: By default it assumes the center of the first picture we took in the series is north. The compass points in the directions of the horizontal component of I have found that in many cases if I know or can find on the aerial image where I took the pano that finding a heading is usually not difficult if there are landmarks around, as with the dock in the example above. Rainbow St. 12, Kingsford, Sydney, AU). Google Maps North Google Maps use a variant of the Mercator projection for its map images. Below I discuss a few methods I’ve found to work for me, or have heard that work for others, in identifying the photo location and which way is north in hopes the reader will find something that will work for them. This is a good question for which I will have only my opinion as an answer. If you are in the northern hemisphere, the cardinal direction North is perpendicular to the east-west line heading away from the sun. Sight up the stick at a bright star that you can recognize later. Stand or lay in a position and location that you can copy later. Does the compass needle point toward the magnetic pole? In other cases it seems that a misplacement of 50 feet is unacceptable. We could place the location on the wrong side of the globe and it would accept it. Displays historical isogonic lines calculated for the years If we are out in a forest with no noticeable hills, canyons, rivers, etc, it can be impossible to find where we were when looking at an aerial image (example). There is nothing you should do: by using your log information, the map below will show my current location on the surface of our planet. Notice the two points on the moon when it is not full. Thank you. In reality we don’t have to find north, we can actually find any direction in the 360 degree horizon. There are a few methods we can use (mostly discussed below) to determine which way is north (or any other known direction). ( Log Out /  The method I find the most useful and easy is to find a landmark that’s directly north, east, west or south of the pano origin location. The dock is a better choice in this case due to the lack of significant landmarks out on the horizon. Next we need to tell 360cites which way north is. That’s it – the heading is recorded. Using the Ruler Tool in GoogleEarth I draw a line straight down the dock in this case, as pictured above. the magnetic field where the compass is located, and not to any single A good example is laying against the rock with your chin on your fist and mark your fist location on the rock with chalk or a rock scratch. Please use another device/browser or check out the desktop version of the Interactive Night Sky Map. So I’ll use my second favorite method on this one – that is to use a bearing line in GoogleEarth. This web application is built using the latest web technology called HTML5 / w3C Geolocation. International When finding the correct location to mark the panos origin, one can simply enter a GPS coordinate. All you need to have is a stable internet connection and a device with a web browser. When we take our first image we’d make a note in which heading the camera is aimed and where we are standing on earth. I’ll use an obvious landmark to do it, the dock. Repeat rubbing the North end of the magnet against one half of the needle 20 times or so. Note the pop-up box for the Ruler Tool tells me the heading of the line and thus the dock – 194 degrees. So I use Magnetic North on my compass. @tom - If you don't know which direction your goal is, there's After sunset and most of the night. I have noted that many people have little sense of direction and are not bothered by it. Noting where we are when we take a particular spherical panorama and which direction is north in the panorama are both a requirement to post the image on 360cities.net and GoogleEarth (as noted in my post The First Shooting Session). This is being worked on so support for this will be coming soon. Neptune is visible during most of the night, but it is best viewed in the late evening hours after sunset. positive east of true north and negative when west. In any case, the panographer should at a minimum do all they can within reason to get the location/heading correct. Using a tent pole or other straight stick, position it on a tall rock or on a tree limb so it is steady. Enter a city name for example. Magnetic declination, sometimes called I hope you've enjoyed your trek. If you are trying to figure out which direction you are standing without using any type of watch or mobile device, there is a simple way to accomplish this. Or, tie it like the image for easier balancing. (In the Southern Hemisphere, … Why we should learn how to use the magnetic compass? 8. In the Heading window on the 360cites website we click “Edit” then rotate the scene until we are looking in a direction parallel to the dock, as pictured below. If you need further assistance with choosing the best digital TV antenna for your location, please chat with us online or call our Connection Crew toll-free at 1-877-825-5572 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM CST, or on weekends 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, or use our Contact Form. My Current Location is a Web Apps that detects your location using GeoLocation data provided by your browser. Follow the edge of the ladle 5 times its length up the edge of the ladle. Tie one end of a length of thread to a stick and the other end to the middle of the needle. Find a tall stick about 3 or 4 feet high and stick it in the ground. My mind is constantly and subconsciously aware of where I am and which way is north. Some geotaggers will also embed heading information in the images. More importantly, if there are no significant/unique landmarks what will be visible in an aerial photo, this is the problem case. Watch which way your compass needle turns. Use it to locate a planet, the Moon, or the Sun and track their movements across the sky. Geomagnetic Reference Field Model (IGRF), Magnetic As the compass points with local magnetic fields, declination If I find myself not knowing where I am and not seeing any adequate landmarks – I simply turn it on and make sure it and my camera clocks are synced – problem solved. The brightest star there is Polaris the North Star which is virtually north. If it’s still night and you can’t find the North Star, there is another way. See how far the planets are from the Sun or Earth, how bright they look, and their apparent size in the sky. Use it to locate a planet, the Moon, or the Sun and track their movements across the sky. I’ve used this method a few times – mainly when I knew before I left home that I was going to a place where I was going to lose my sense of location/direction and there wasn’t likely to be any significant landmarks. Another technique I’ve used for tracking my location is to carry a GPS-based tracking device, such as the Sony GPS Image Tracker. Get a piece of string or rope or a stick that is the length of the current shadow. More, Download Change ). (In the Southern Hemisphere, that line pointing away from the sun is pointing South.). So I use Grid North on the map. These methods can be used to map cardinal directions and better, but remember that they are not nearly as good as a compass. In the upper left corner are panning and zooming controls. About You have magnetized the needle just like a compass needle. Now, you just need to go practice and plan your next excursion out of your cubicle, away from your computer screen, and into the real world that's waiting out there! From the center of the circle, draw a line straight towards the sun. Do more with Bing Maps. When the images of a picture-set are geotagged the completed pano will retain that tag. Mars is roughly in the opposite direction of the Sun, so it is visible during most of the night. My point here has nothing whatsoever to do with it being good or bad to have a sense of direction. Continue to check the shadow until it is again long enough to touch the circle. Mark the spot where the shadow is currently hitting the circle. Here’s an example – let’s say we know we were standing on a peninsula into Alpine Lake. Explain to students how to use maps. In the case above I entered the name of the reservoir I took my pano by. Busy taking picture-set and forget to take location/heading How big are the planets and what is their order from the Sun? As of late, I actually keep this device in my backpack camera bag. When I move a bearing between my compass and my map, I convert the north reference. Eat a trail bar or relax for a half hour. Hold a toothpick or little twig or piece of grass up along the edge of your watch so it casts a shadow toward the center of the watch. Hold your wristwatch in front of you like a compass. Uranus is roughly in the opposite direction of the Sun, so it is visible during most of the night. Beta The Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above New York on a date of your choice. Dates and tips on how and where to see "shooting stars" from meteor showers all over the world. Map Viewer. Every time we take a spherical pano we intend to publish on GoogleEarth we really need to get into the habit of asking our self “Do I know where I am or will I be able to figure it out later?”. Venus can best be seen in the hours just before sunrise. ... mainly when I knew before I left home that I was going to a place where I was going to lose my sense of location/direction and there wasn’t likely to be any significant landmarks. Turn your watch until the shadow splits in half the distance between the hour hand and 12 on the watch face. You may need binoculars. Get a big sewing needle or a very small nail and a bar magnet.