How to Find West by the Waxing Moon

Knowing how to find direction is part of being a good outdoorsman. While there are many ways to do it, here's a specific tip about how to find a westerly direction by the waxing moon. Although the moon rises more or less in the east, and sets more or less in the west as a result of the earth's rotation, it slips eastward through the stars about 12 degrees every day, as a result of its orbit around the earth. We see more of it each day (i.e. it waxes) as it slips eastward, and farther from the sun. To tell direction by the waxing moon, draw an imaginary line through the "horns" of the moon, or across the flat face of the first-quarter moon. (Some people call this a half-moon.) Then draw an imaginary line perpendicular to the first down to the horizon. This line points to the direction of the sun over the horizon--a westerly direction. For more complete info on finding direction by the waxing moon, see this page on my web site: http://ift.tt/1P8ZPPd

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How to Find West by the Waxing Moon