How can I tell which direction is South, North, East, and West from my home?

Question

I don't have a compass or anything. How can I tell exactly?

Answer 1

As many others have said use the sun if you don't have a compass.

This will give you a rough estimate. The best time to do that would be at the equinox at noon (non Day Light Savings time) this will give you a closer idea of which way is north.

If you live at the equator its easy, look to where the sun rises and exactly 90 degrees to your left is north and 180 degrees from north is south.

its not perfect but it's the closest with out a compass

Also if you very carefully hang a magnate from something with very thing string north will point north. Or you can magnitize a needle and place it on a small plastic coke bottle cap and put it in water.

Instructions on how to magnetize things:

1. it has to be metal.
2. Use either north or south end of the magnate and stroke the object in once direction repeatedly for about 10 to 50 strokes.
3. Works best on long thin objects such as a rod.

Answer 2

Besides using a compass, you can use the sun. Where the sun rises, it is east, where it sets, it is west. During a sunrise, north is your left and south is your right . Here's a cool trick: take a bowl and fill it with water. Get a leaf and put it in the bowl. Take a needle and put it on the side of the leaf. Make sure that the tip of the needle faces the same way as the tip of the leaf. Walk around with the bowl and make sure the needle doesn't fall off the leaf. The tip of the leaf will always face in the same direction. Whatever way it faces, it is north. If you're ever lost in the wilderness and need to know which way you're going and you don't have a needle or a bowl, then you can crack open a watch and use either the minute or the hour hand and use a small body of water or hollow stump as the bowl.

Answer 3

Oh cool since u live in brisbane the climate there is hot now but in the evenings it sure must be cooler. Since the sun rises in the East it's a natural thing that one has to be a early riser unless u have tainted windows with air condition in ur rooms. So frankly speaking East is meant for those who are early risers or who want more prosperity...One who wants to flourish in business rises up early and starts his/ her day bright and fresh just as the warm sun makes u feel when u see it in the wee hours. I say North east faced house is most auspicious and gives u more energy and vitality along with much wanted prosperity. A house door opening to the south is never good it is destroyer of wealth and things don't happen on time, it's the direction of the doomed or rather of loss west side house is good and if u get a house northwest it's cool too don't go for house facing the South ,Southwest or Southeast it's no good I am telling u from my own experience as we are residing in our home which has a south facing and it's truly no good nothing happens on time and even if we do venture things to be done it takes like forever even for 2 minutes work. I'd never have believed it but since the past 16 yrs I am experiencing it thats quite some experience. In my earlier home all was super cool and great it was in the North east direction it truly spruced up all the work and things were very nice.

Answer 4

If no computer or compass is available and you live in the northern hemisphere, a very accurate gage is locating the north star.
Right now, being close to the summer solstice, the sun is rising considerably north of directly east, so it is NOT as accurate.
Locate the north star on a clear night by spotting the big dipper.
Locate the two stars on the end of the dipper opposite the handle.
Imagine a straight line going through those two stars and follow it until it comes close to intersecting with another bright star.
That bright star is Polaris, the North Star.
It is always within one degree of directly North
If you were to draw a line on the ground that points directly at that star, the line will be running from South to North.
When viewing that line from south to north, west will be to your left and east will be to your right.

Answer 5

Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. From this you can get a pretty accurate idea of where East & West are. From this you can determine North & South.

Answer 6

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so...

If morning: Put your arr straight out, with your right hand pointing at the sun. North is in your face, south at your back.
(In afternoon, put the sun on your LEFT hand. Same results.)

If night time, find the Big Dipper and follow a curved line from the two stars that form the outside side of the bucket 0 you'll find a star all by itself - that's Polaris, the North Star. Face it, and east is to your right, west to your left, and south is behind you.

Answer 7

Go outside and watch for the sun to rise, which will be in the east. Your front will be pointing towards the east, your back to the west, north will be to your left, and south will be to your right.

Answer 8

Unless you have a compass you cannot, or you could find a landmark and know that your house is say east of it so you know when you are at home and facing it you are east, I tell because I live near lake ontarion in toronto so the lake is always south of me and from that I can figure out the other directions

Answer 9

Sheesh.
you should have survival skills matey.
The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Get it!!!
You can tell time by looking at shadows cast by the sunlight and also the wind direction by licking your finger and sticking up in the air. Licking ur sweat is a good way to keep, the amount of salt on your body.

Answer 10

Use google earth.

Zoom into your house and use the compass to see which which way would be North, South etc.