Why are Some Cannons Fired at Noon?
The noon or midday gun is a traditional time signal: a cannon fired precisely at midday so ships in port could set their chronometers correctly.…
Tag: time
The Exact Time of Sunrise and Sunset
We can work out when the sun will rise or set using tables and by understanding our location well. If you look online or at…
We Have Left the Darkest Two Months
In the northern hemisphere, we have left the darkest two months of the year. The next time the sun rises exactly behind that tree again…
Creating a Star Dial – Telling the Time from the Stars
A Guest Blog by Chloé. We stare up at the stars, eyes wide, I didn’t want to miss it this time! The children had shouted…
Why does the Gnomon on a Sundial Point South?
The pointy bit of a sundial is called a ‘gnomon’. It is the part that casts the shadow and in the northern hemisphere it points…
The Meaning of Bluebells
The bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) is a perennial bluish-purple bell-shaped wildflower of the Lily family (Liliaceae). It is a European plant, common in the British Isles.…
Sun Tunnels and the Solstice
A Guest Post by Nik Huggins. As nature lovers and navigators throughout the northern hemisphere celebrate the summer solstice, our minds may drift to the…
The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs
The ultimate guide to what the land, sun, moon, stars, trees, plants, animals, sky and clouds can reveal – when you know what to look…
Watches, Time and the Art of Not Getting Lost
On courses and at the end of talks, I regularly get asked about how we can use our watch as a compass. There are two…
Thomas Manning
Thomas Manning (1772-1840) was an eccentric academic and the first British traveller to reach Tibet. After donning a heavy disguise and much perseverance and patience…
Moisture Compass
In this photo you can see the dew that the sun has not yet burnt off. The shadow itself is mostly moving right to left…
Tide and the Big Clock
Time and navigation have a cosy relationship, as John Harrison, inventor of the chronometer that cracked the longitude problem in the 18th Century would attest.…