Back from Oman
Just back from extraordinary research trip to Oman. Sailing a traditional dhow using stars, moon and sun to navigate and other studies. More to follow.
Tag: stars
Starry Night over the Rhone
I’m currently reading an amazing biography of Vincent van Gogh, by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith. It’s funny how, when you read about a…
All Walks of Life
When I’m asked what I love most about natural navigation, my answer is usually in two parts: I love the diversity of the subject, astronomy…
Finding Your Way Around the Night Sky
I enjoyed cooking some new recipes on the weekend, baking mainly, and this made me think about the night sky. Many people want to make…
Astronavigating with the BBC
UPDATE: The piece I did with Mark Thompson was broadcast on BBC Stargazing Live on BBC2 last night. It will be available on iPlayer for…
Bertram Thomas Crossing the Rub’ al Khali and Wilfred Thesiger
A big thanks to Mark Evans at Outward Bound Oman, for sending over images and the actual star sightings used by Bertram Thomas, from when…
Noticing the Dirty Little Things
I have woken up encircled by scorpions, been to the odd literary party in the West End and even met royalty on occasion, but these…
Snow Clues
I took these two photographs during a walk in the woods on Friday morning. The second picture was taken facing the opposite direction to the…
The Procrastination of an Outdoors Writer
Today marks the start of the writing of a new book. And what better way to celebrate it, than by procrastinating! As writers go, I…
The Things That Frighten Us
A couple of nights ago I went on a solo night natural navigation exercise, in a patch of woods I haven’t explored before. As it…
Stunning Natural Navigation Image
A big thank you to James of James Walker Photography for his kind permission to reproduce this image from Umbria, Italy. I have come across…
Chankillo and the Solar Triangle
In the desert of western Peru there are the remnants of a civilization that still holds many mysteries. Archaeoastromomers are able to deduce a few…
Walking in Circles
I am often asked about the tendency of people to walk in circles when lost. Here is an explanation of what happens. 1) If people…
Urban Natural Navigation
A couple of days ago I got off the train in London Victoria station at about 6.40pm. I knew the place I needed to get…
Where the Wildflowers Are
Walking through a narrow, predominantly damp and shady deciduous woodland yesterday afternoon I was suddenly greeted by sunshine on my right cheek and a group…
Snow Wonders
One of the most rewarding things about natural navigation is that it shuns any attempt by the seasons to quieten things down. There are many…
Which Way Are We Looking?
The last astro quiz proved so popular that I thought we’d do another. This fantastic photo was taken by the expedition photographer, James Walker. Thanks,…
Astro Photo Quiz
This really is one of the best astronomical photographs I have ever come across. It is amazing even before you notice that the sea is…
How to Use a Kamal
In this photo, one of the Outward Bound Oman instructors, who I visited recently, is being taught how to use a traditional and beautifully simple…