How Do Sailors Find North?
Long before phones, maps, or GPS, sailors sailing far out on the ocean at night still needed to know which way was home. So they looked up — and found a very special star that could help them every single night.
What You'll Learn
- Know that north, south, east, and west are directions, not places - Find the North Star (Polaris) in the night sky - Know that a compass needle always points north - Explain why sailors needed to know which way was north
What Is North?
North, south, east, and west are the four main directions we use to describe which way something is. If you're facing north, south is behind you, east is to your right, and west is to your left. Sailors on the ocean have no roads, street signs, or landmarks to help them — just water in every direction — so knowing which way is north is one of the most important things they can know.
The North Star: Nature's Compass
There's a star called Polaris, or the North Star, that stays in almost the exact same spot in the sky all night, every night, while every other star seems to slowly spin around it. That's because Polaris sits almost directly above Earth's North Pole. Sailors learned to find it by first spotting the Big Dipper, a group of seven stars shaped like a scoop. The two stars at the front edge of the scoop point almost straight at Polaris, so once a sailor found the Big Dipper, they could always find north.
A compass needle is a tiny magnet, and it swings around until it lines up with Earth's own magnetic pull — always settling to point north, just like a tiny arrow built into Earth itself.
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
Which star did sailors use for hundreds of years to find North at night?
If you are facing North and turn to your right, which direction are you now facing?
Find the North Star
On a clear night, go outside with a grown-up and look for the Big Dipper. Find the two stars at the front edge of its "scoop" and imagine a line stretching from them upward — that line points to the North Star! Draw a picture of what you see and mark which direction is north from where you're standing.
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