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How time was determined before. How the time was determined before How to find out the time without a clock

11.11.2020

For many people, it is vital to know the exact time. If suddenly you happen to find yourself in conditions where it comes to survival and your own safety, the ability to tell the time (if you do not have a watch) will be extremely useful.

Agree, it is difficult to guess the exact time without a clock, but we will try not to guess it, but to determine it by the sun, moon and stars.

I. Determination of time by the sun

1. Determine the position of the sun:

If you are in the northern hemisphere, face south; if you are in the southern hemisphere, face north (If you do not have a compass with you, use the following methods to identify the parts of the world). Look at the equator - the line between heaven and earth, where the sun rises and where the sun sets. As you know, the sun rises in the East (which will be on the left if you are facing the South, and on the right if you turn your gaze to the North) and sets in the West.

If the sun in the sky is exactly in the center, then it is now noon - 12:00. However, there are a number of deviations that depend on daylight saving time and your location in relation to the time zone.

If the sun is not exactly centered in the sky, you have to do a few calculations. In the morning the sun is in the eastern part of the sky, at noon - in the western. Divide the sky into equal parts mentally, then you can find out the approximate time.

2. Calculate the number of hours between sunrise and sunset:

This amount depends on the time of year and your location. In winter, the days are shorter (about 10 hours), in summer they are longer (about 14 hours). In spring and autumn, the length of the day is approximately 12 hours, especially in the period close to the solstice (late March and late September).

3. Divide the path of the sun into segments:

Look at the equator and imagine the arc along which the sun moves - from East to West, starting and ending on the horizon. Visually divide this arc into equal segments, the number of which will coincide with the number of hours of daylight hours. For example, if you believe that the approximate length of a day is 12 hours, then you should divide the arc into 12 equal segments: 6 in the eastern half, 6 in the western half.

4. Determine which segment the sun is in:

It will not be difficult to determine this. As mentioned above, one segment is one hour. Therefore, the number of all segments, from the east side to the one in which the sun is now located, will correspond to the approximate time. The remaining number of segments on the west side will tell you how many hours are left until sunset.

II. Determining time by the moon

Find the moon:

If the moon is full, follow the same instructions for determining time from the sun. If you have a new moon in front of you, then this method will not work.

The two stars in the constellation Ursa Major are in line with the Pole Star. This line will play the role of a clock hand with the Pole Star in the center of the visual clock. Looking north, 12 is at the top of the clock and 6 is at the bottom. Now let's use our imagination to draw a circle with the given hour pointers. What time is it now? Suppose the arrow shows 2:30. This is an approximate time.

For example, if your calendar is May 7, then you need to add 2 hours to the estimated time. We get 4:30. To achieve accuracy, add or subtract two minutes for each day after or before the 7th of the month. For example, today is February 2nd - one month and five days until March 7th. Thus, you must subtract one hour and ten minutes from the time 2:30 indicated in the starry sky. We get 1:20.

The reason why we are forced to focus our attention on the date of March 7 is that it is on this day that the sidereal clock shows exactly 12:00 at midnight, therefore, this is our reference date, relative to which we adjust the time on the sidereal clock.

4.Summer time:

It is also necessary to adjust the time depending on the time zone you are in and if daylight saving time is in effect. If you translated the hands for daylight saving time, then you need to add one hour to the approximate. If you live near the western edge of your time zone, add half an hour. Conversely, if you are near the eastern border of your time zone, subtract half an hour. Now you can tell the time with relative precision.

Some useful tips:

If you have the necessary material and time, you can build a sundial.
It will be quite difficult to tell the time from the sun if you are in an area where there is little difference between daytime and nighttime. For example, when the sun does not set throughout the summer.
Remember to adjust the time for Daylight Saving Time.
Don't bother to pinpoint the exact time as it also depends on the latitude and longitude of your location.

One comment on “How to tell time without a clock”

HOW TO DETERMINE THE TIME WITHOUT CLOCK. For many people, it is vital to know the exact time. If suddenly you happen to find yourself in conditions where it comes to survival and your own safety, the ability to tell the time (if you do not have a watch) will be extremely useful. Agree, it is difficult to guess the exact time without a clock, but we will try not to guess it, but to determine it by the sun, moon and stars. I. Determining the time by the sun 1. Determine the position of the sun: If you are in the northern hemisphere, face south; if you are in the southern hemisphere, face north (If you do not have a compass with you, use the following methods to identify the parts of the world). Look at the equator - the line between heaven and earth, where the sun rises and where the sun sets. As you know, the sun rises in the East (which will be on the left if you are facing the South, and on the right if you turn your gaze to the North) and sets in the West. If the sun in the sky is exactly in the center, then it is now noon - 12:00. However, there are a number of deviations that depend on daylight saving time and your location in relation to the time zone. If the sun is not exactly centered in the sky, you have to do a few calculations. In the morning the sun is in the eastern part of the sky, at noon - in the western. Divide the sky into equal parts mentally, then you can find out the approximate time. 2. Calculate the number of hours between sunrise and sunset: This number depends on the time of year and your location. In winter the days are shorter (about 10 hours), in summer they are longer (about 14 hours). In spring and autumn, the length of the day is approximately 12 hours, especially in the period close to the solstice (late March and late September). 3. Divide the sun's path into segments: Look at the equator and imagine the arc along which the sun moves - from East to West, starting and ending its course on the horizon. Visually divide this arc into equal segments, the number of which will coincide with the number of hours of daylight hours. For example, if you believe that the approximate length of a day is 12 hours, then you should divide the arc into 12 equal segments: 6 will be located on the east half, 6 on the west. 4. Determine which segment the sun is in: Determining this will not be difficult. As mentioned above, one segment is one hour. Therefore, the number of all segments, from the east side to the one in which the sun is now located, will correspond to the approximate time. The remaining number of segments on the west side will tell you how many hours are left until sunset. II. Finding the Time by the Moon Find the Moon: If the moon is full, follow the same instructions for determining the time by the sun. If you have a new moon in front of you, then this method will not work. 2. Imagine the moon as a circle and visually divide it into vertical stripes: The number of vertical stripes should coincide with the number of night hours, where the first hour will be a strip on the right side, and the last one on the left. As stated earlier, the number of night hours depends on the time of year and your location. Let's assume there are 12 of them - from 18:00 to 6:00. 3. Count from right to left: Notice where the moon line crosses the border between the light and dark parts. Calculate which band it is. If you started counting from right to left, and the moon moves from light to dark, the strip where the intersection took place will mean when the moon sets in the West (moonset). Otherwise, the transition from a dark band to a light one will tell you when the moon appears in the East (moonrise). For example, the intersection occurred in the strip indicating the time 20:00 during the transition from dark to light. This means that the moon will set in the West at 20:00. The moon in the picture on the left will set about 7-8 hours after sunset. That is, if the sun disappeared from the horizon at 19:00, then you can expect the moon to set at 2: 00-3: 00 in the morning. If the moon is a tiny rim on the right side, it will set within 1-2 hours of nightfall. Conversely, if the moon looks like a thin line located in a semicircle on the left side, then it will rise 1-2 hours before sunrise. You can expect the night to end within 1-2 hours. 4. Determine the position of the moon in the sky: Divide the trajectory of the moon into segments, as is the case with the sun. Suppose that the duration of the night will be 12 hours, therefore, the trajectory is divided into 12 equal segments. If you know the moonrise time, estimate how many visual segments it has already passed. Add the moonrise time to this time, then you will get the current time. For example, you know that the moon appeared at 21:00 and is currently in the middle of the 12 o'clock segment, which means that it has already passed 6 segments in the sky. 6 hours after sunrise at 21:00 we get the current time - 3:00 in the morning. If you know the time of moonset, determine how many segments on the visual trajectory it needs to travel before it sets in the West. Suppose the moon sets at 2:00 AM. If there are 2 segments left to the western end of the moon's trajectory, then it will set in 2 hours. So 2 hours before moonset is the current time 12:00 am (midnight). III. Determining the time by the stars 1. Determine the position of the constellation Ursa Major: This can be done only while in the northern hemisphere, provided that the sky is cloudless. In summer, the constellation Polar Bear is located closer to the horizon. 2. Set the approximate time: Two stars in the constellation Ursa Major are in line with the Pole Star. This line will play the role of a clock hand with the Pole Star in the center of the visual clock. Looking north, 12 is at the top of the clock and 6 is at the bottom. Now let's draw with our imagination a circle with the given hour markers. What time is it now? Suppose the arrow shows 2:30. This is an approximate time. 3. Add one hour for each month after March 7: For example, if your calendar is May 7, then you need to add 2 hours to the estimated time. We get 4:30. To achieve accuracy, add or subtract two minutes for each day after or before the 7th of the month. For example, today is February 2 - one month and five days until March 7. Thus, you must subtract one hour and ten minutes from the time 2:30 in the starry sky. We get 1:20. The reason why we are forced to focus our attention on the date of March 7 is that it is on this day that the sidereal clock shows exactly 12:00 at midnight, therefore, this is our reference date, relative to which we adjust the time on the sidereal clock. 4. Daylight Saving Time: It is also necessary to adjust the time depending on the time zone you are in and if daylight saving time is in effect. If you translated the hands for daylight saving time, then you need to add one hour to the approximate. If you live near the western edge of your time zone, add half an hour. Conversely, if you are near the eastern border of your time zone, subtract half an hour. Now you can tell the time with relative accuracy. Here are some helpful tips: If you have the necessary material and time, you can build a sundial. It will be quite difficult to tell the time from the sun if you are in an area where there is little difference between daytime and nighttime. For example, when the sun does not set throughout the summer. Remember to adjust the time for Daylight Saving Time. Don't bother to pinpoint the exact time as it also depends on the latitude and longitude of your location.

The Earth moves at a speed of 29.8 km / s in an orbit with a length of 930 million km. The tilt of the earth's axis relative to the plane of rotation is 66 ° 5 ". It determines the maximum angle of the Sun's rise above the horizon and leads to the change of seasons. The period of the Earth's revolution around the Sun is 365 days and 6 hours. These very 6 hours lead to the need to arrange every 4 years. leap year.

The duration of true (solar) days, i.e. day together with night, during the year it changes somewhat depending on the time interval between the return of the Sun to the meridian. The longest true days are December 22; they are longer than the shortest true days on June 22 by 51.2 seconds. Well, the truth is such accuracy is needed more in an observatory than in a forest.

March 21 The sun is at its zenith at the equator rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west - this is the vernal equinox, the astronomical beginning of spring "morning of the year".

June 22 - the day of the summer solstice. The sun moves away from the equator to the north by 23 "5" this day is the longest, the sun rises to the maximum height for a given latitude.

Everything is very simple. To carry out accurate observations of the Sun and determine the date, it remains only to build something similar in size to the Egyptian pyramid and you will be perfectly oriented in months, weeks and even days.

Simpler methods can be used to determine the hours and minutes.

Determining time by the moon

A little background information. The lunar month is slightly less than usual for Europeans and is 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes, i.e. the phases of the moon replace each other for about 29.5 days.

New moon - the beginning of the month: in this phase the Moon is not visible.
First quarter- the visible crescent moon is observed in half a circle in the first half of the night, sets in the middle of the night.
Full moon - The moon is observed in the form of a disk-circle, rises in the evening and sets in the morning, i.e. shines all night.
Last quarter - the moon is observed in half a circle in the second half of the night, rises in the middle of the night.

Determining the time by the moon and compass with an incomplete moon

Let's say the moon arrives... Let us point north on the compass limb to the moon (with the letter C to the moon), counting the degrees from the north end of the magnetic needle to this direction. We get the azimuth of the Moon (ex. 270) then divide it by 15 and add 1
270 / 15 = 18
18 + 1 = 19

We determine that the visible part of the Moon is 5 fractions of its diameter, based on the calculation that the full disk is 12 shares. Then we add them 19 + 5 \u003d 24 this is the time of interest to us. If the amount is\u003e 24, subtract 24 from it.

And if the moon decreases, we must do the same, but subtract the counting in fractions of the visible disk of the Moon.

Determining the time from the moon and compass with a full moon

On a full moon, you should do the same. For example azimuth \u003d 90
90 / 12 = 6
6 + 1 = 7
7 + 12 \u003d 19 - i.e. it is 19 o'clock (7 pm)

Determination of time by the sun.

6 am - in the east
9 am - in the southwest
12 - in the south, the shortest shadow
15 - in the southwest
18 - in the west

At 24 o'clock the sun is in the north, do not rush to smile, the sun is not visible everywhere "at night". In the polar regions, at midnight, it simply occupies the lowest position above the horizon.

In the equatorial regions, the opposite is true. It is very easy to identify west or east at dusk or dawn. But at noon it can be both in the north and in the south.

Determination of time by the Sun and compass.

Remember right away that the sun moves across the sky at a speed of 15 degrees per hour. In order to determine the time on the compass, we measure the azimuth in the sun, for example, it is 90 °. Then 90 ° must be divided by 15 ° per hour, we get 6.

For Russia, it is necessary to take into account the daylight saving time, i.e. add 1 hour, in addition, now in almost all countries of the northern hemisphere summer time is introduced for the summer period, i.e. one more hour is added.

So plus one hour (daylight saving time) and we get 7 hours. Or, for example, the azimuth on the Sun is 180 °, which means that the time will be 12h + 1h (for daylight saving time) \u003d 13h.

Determination of time by stars

Determination of time for the constellation Ursa Major.

Each star and any point in the firmament makes a full circle in 23 hours 56 minutes.
Sidereal days are the basic unit of time, and their duration remains constant at all times.
Sidereal time is unsuitable for calculation due to the fact that the beginning of sidereal days during the year goes to different times of the day or night.
When the constellation is at the bottom, it conventionally corresponds to 6 o'clock. The hand of the sidereal clock. all stars orbit in the sky not exactly 24 hours, but ~ 4 minutes faster, then the sidereal clock readings decrease by 1 conventional hour every month.

Therefore, the hand of the side of the sidereal hours shows at midnight
6 conventional hours September 22, 12 conventional hours March 22
5 conventional hours October 22, 11 conventional hours April 22
4 conventional hours November 22, 10 conventional hours 22nd of May
3 conventional hours December 22, 9 conventional hours 22nd of June
2 conventional hours January 22, 8 conventional hours July 22
1 conventional hours February 22, 7 conventional hours August 22

Let's say the traveler wants to know when midnight on November 7th. From the table he will determine that November 7 is between October 22 and November 22, and on this day the side of the sidereal clock should show 4.5 conventional hours.
Determining how much time is on the road is even easier. What time does the sidereal clock show at the beginning and at the end?
To translate the sidereal clock into the real one, you need to double the resulting number.
The hand of the sidereal clock shows 1 conv. hour. From the table we find that at midnight 7.11. The hand showed 4.5 hours. Therefore, 4.5-1 \u003d 3.5 conventional hours. \u003d 7 hours
If the hand of the sidereal hours shows 6.5 conv. hours, then 4.5 + 12 \u003d 16.5
16.5-6.5 \u003d 10 conv. hours \u003d 20 hours i.e. 8 pm

Another way to define.

Suppose that the side of the sidereal hour hand shows 6.5 conventional hours Let's find the ordinal number of the month from the beginning of the year with tenths that have passed since the beginning of the given month (every 3 days counts for 1/10 of the month), for example. September 12 \u003d 9.4 The resulting number is added with the sidereal clock readings and multiplied by 2.
(6.5 + 9.4) * 2 = 31
This number must be subtracted from some constant for the celestial arrow.
The Big Dipper has 55.3, i.e. 55.3 - 31 \u003d 23.5
If, after subtracting, the number is greater than 24, then you need to subtract 24 from it.
You can also take another heavenly arrow, for example. Ursa Minor (the brightest star), its constant number is 59.1

Determination of time by the movement of stars.

The climax of the North Star occurs at different times of the year at different times. To determine the time, it makes no difference whether the climax is, and therefore both climaxes can be generalized by adding one per hour (daylight saving time)
15 jan. and July 5 7 and 19 o'clock
15 Feb and 15 Aug 21 hours
15 March and 15 Sept. 23 hours
Apr 15. And 15 October. 1 hour
May 15 and Nov 15 3 hours
June 15 and December 15 5 and 17 hours

Determination of time intervals

If there is no compass, then the length of time can be determined by the "sidereal clock". Again, we note their readings at the beginning and at the end, and multiply the difference by 2.

Determining the time of day by plants

It should be noted that the given data are valid only for good, stable weather. Those. during or before inclement weather, the flowers may not bloom, but this does not mean that the sun will not rise that day.

Meadow goatbeard

Flowers closing time - 10: 00-11: 00

Chicory

Wild rose
Flower opening time - 05: 00-06: 00

Dandelion

Flowers closing time - 15: 00-16: 00

Sow thistle

Flowers closing time - 11: 00-12: 00

Field flax
-08:00
Flowers closing time - 17: 00-18: 00

Umbrella hawk
Opening time of flowers - 07: 00-08: 00

White water lily

Violet tricolor
Opening time of flowers - 08: 00-09: 00

Field carnation

Field marigold
Opening time of flowers - 10: 00-11: 00
Flowers closing time - 16: 00-17: 00

Kislitsa
Opening time of flowers - 10: 00-11: 00
Flowers closing time - 18: 00-19: 00

Mother and stepmother
Opening time of flowers - 10: 00-11: 00
Flowers closing time - 18: 00-19: 00

Fragrant tobacco

Night violet
Flower opening time - 21: 00-22: 00
Closing time of flowers -

Field poppy self-seeding
Opening time of flowers - 04: 00-05: 00
Flowers closing time - 14: 00-15: 00

Potatoes
Opening time of flowers - 06: 00-07: 00
Flowers closing time - 20: 00-21: 00

Hairy hawk
Opening time of flowers - 06: 00-07: 00
Flowers closing time - 15: 00-16: 00

Immortelle
Opening time of flowers - 07: 00-08: 00
Flowers closing time - 14:00

Medium starfish

Flowers closing time - 15: 00-16: 00

Common tar
Flower opening time - 09:00
Flowers closing time - 20: 00-21: 00

Calendula officinalis

Flowers closing time - 16: 00-17: 00

Torichnik red
Opening time of flowers - 09: 00-10: 00
Flowers closing time - 14: 00-15: 00

Lyubka is two-leaved
Opening time of flowers - 20: 00-21: 00
Flowers closing time - 02: 00-03: 00

Red fescue
Flower opening time - after 2

Timothy grass

Flowers closing time - 10: 00-12: 00

Bonfire soft
Opening time of flowers - 03: 00-05: 00
Closing time of flowers - about 7 hours

Meadow foxtail
Opening time of flowers - 03: 00-05: 00
Flowers closing time - 07: 00-08: 00

Red bent (white)
Flower opening time - after 4 (in dry weather), after 9 (in wet weather)
Closing time of flowers -

Autumn kulbaba
Opening time of flowers - 04: 00-05: 00

Two-source reed (canary)
Opening time of flowers - 04: 00-05: 00

Meadow bluegrass
Opening time of flowers - 04: 00-05: 00

Hawk-throat (gorchak)
Opening time of flowers - 04: 00-05: 00

Meadow fescue
Opening time of flowers - 04: 00-05: 00
Flowers closing time - 09: 00-10: 00

Lily-locust (sarana
Flower opening time - 05:00
Closing time of flowers - 19: 00-20: 00

Adonis (cuckoo color)
Flower opening time - 07:00

Garden lettuce
Flower opening time - 07:00
Flowers closing time - 22:00

St. John's wort
Flower opening time - 07:00

Forget-me-not
Flower opening time - 07:00
Flowers closing time - 17:00

Determination of time by birds

The approximate time in the summer morning hours can also be determined by the awakening of birds and their first songs.

Finch
The time of the first song is 02: 00-02: 30

Robin

Quail
First song time - 03: 30-04: 00

Thrush
First song time - 04: 00-04: 30

Warbler
First song time - 04: 00-05: 00

Tit
Time of the first song - 05: 00-06: 00

Sparrow
Time of the first song - 06: 00-07: 00

Yula (wood lark)

Eastern nightingale
First song time - about 1 am

Warbler
First song time - about 1 am

Redstart-coot

Black Redstart
The time of the first song is 02: 00-03: 00

Quail
The time of the first song is 02: 00-03: 00

Field lark
The time of the first song is 02: 00-03: 00

Wren
First song time - 03: 00-04: 00

airsoft guns

Although, unlike space, in time people can only move in one direction and at the same speed, the ability to navigate in time has not hindered anyone. Watches, like any mechanisms made by people, break down too often to be relied on outside the reach of a watchmaker. And the sun, the moon, the stars show time for billions of years without stopping and have never failed.

First, a few numbers. The Earth moves at a speed of 29.8 km / s in an orbit with a length of 930 million km. The inclination of the earth's axis relative to the plane of rotation is 66 ° 5 ″. It determines the maximum angle of the Sun's rise above the horizon and leads to the change of seasons. The period of the Earth's revolution around the Sun is 365 days and 6 hours. These same 6 hours lead to the need to arrange a leap year every 4 years.

21 March The sun is at its zenith at the equator rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west - this is the day of the vernal equinox, the astronomical beginning of spring “morning of the year”.

22nd of June - the day of the summer solstice. The sun moves away from the equator to the north by 23'5 ″ this day is the longest, the sun rises to the maximum height for a given latitude.

To determine the hours and minutes, you can get by with simpler instruments.

Determination of time by the sun

6 morning - in the East
9 morning - in the Southwest
12 - in the South, the shortest shadow
15 - in the South-West
18 - in the West
24 - the sun is in the North, do not be in a hurry to smile, the sun is not visible everywhere “at night”. In the polar regions, at midnight, it simply occupies the lowest position above the horizon.

In the equatorial regions, the opposite is true. It is very easy to identify west or east at dusk or dawn. But at noon it can be both in the north and in the south.

Determination of time by the sun and compass

For Russia, it is necessary to take into account the daylight saving time, i.e. add 1 hour, in addition, now in almost all countries of the northern hemisphere summer time will be introduced for the summer period, i.e. one more hour is added.

So plus one hour (daylight saving time) and we get 7 hours. Or, for example, the azimuth on the Sun is 180 °, which means that the time will be 12h + 1h (for daylight saving time) \u003d 13h.

Determining time by the moon

A little background information. The lunar month is slightly less than usual for Europeans and is 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes, i.e. the phases of the moon alternate at about 29.5 days.

New moon - beginning of the month: in this phase the moon is not visible

First quarter - the visible crescent moon is observed in half a circle in the first half of the night, sets in the middle of the night.

Full moon - The moon is observed in the form of a disk-circle, rises in the evening and sets in the morning, i.e. shines all night.

Last quarter - the moon is observed in half a circle in the second half of the night, rises in the middle of the night.

Determining the time by the moon and compass

Let's say the moon is coming. Let us point north on the compass limb to the moon (with the letter C to the moon), counting the degrees from the north end of the magnetic needle to this direction. We get the azimuth of the Moon (ex. 270) then divide it by 15 and add 1

On a full moon, you should do the same. For example azimuth \u003d 90

7 + 12 \u003d 19 - i.e. it is 19 o'clock (7 pm)

And if the Moon is waning, you have to do the same thing, but subtract the counting in fractions of the Moon's visible disk.

Orientation in time by the stars

Determination of time for the constellation Ursa Major.
Each star and any point in the firmament makes a full circle in 23 hours 56 minutes.

Sidereal days are the basic unit of time, and their duration remains constant at all times.

Sidereal time is unsuitable for calculation due to the fact that the beginning of sidereal days during the year goes to different times of the day or night.

When the constellation is at the bottom, it conventionally corresponds to 6 o'clock. The hand of the sidereal clock. all stars orbit in the sky not exactly 24 hours, but ~ 4 minutes faster, then the sidereal clock readings decrease by 1 conventional hour every month.

Therefore, the hand of the side of the sidereal hours shows at midnight

6 conventional hours September 22, 12 conventional hours March 22
5 conventional hours October 22, 11 conventional hours April 22
4 conventional hours November 22, 10 conventional hours 22nd of May
3 conventional hours December 22, 9 conventional hours 22nd of June
2 conventional hours January 22, 8 conventional hours July 22
1 conventional hours February 22, 7 conventional hours August 22

Determining how much time is on the road is even easier. What time does the sidereal clock show at the beginning and at the end?

To translate the sidereal clock into the real one, you need to double the resulting number.

The hand of the sidereal clock shows 1 conv. hour. From the table we find that at midnight 7.11. The hand showed 4.5 hours. Therefore, 4.5-1 \u003d 3.5 conventional hours. \u003d 7 hours

If the hand of the sidereal hours shows 6.5 conv. hours, then 4.5 + 12 \u003d 16.516.5-6.5 \u003d 10 conv. hours \u003d 20 hours i.e. 8 pm

Another way to define

Suppose that the side of the sidereal hour hand shows 6.5 conventional hours Let's find the ordinal number of the month from the beginning of the year with tenths that have passed since the beginning of the given month (every 3 days counts for 1/10 of the month), for example. September 12 \u003d 9.4 The resulting number is added with the sidereal clock readings and multiplied by 2. (6.5 + 9.4) * 2 \u003d 31 This number must be subtracted from some constant for the celestial arrow. Ursa Major has 55.3, i.e. 55.3 - 31 \u003d 23.5 If after subtraction the number is more than 24, then you need to subtract 24 from it. You can take other heavenly arrows, for example. Ursa Minor (the brightest star), its constant number is 59.1

Determination of time by the movement of stars

15 jan. and July 5 7 and 19 o'clock
15 Feb and 15 Aug 21 hours
15 March and 15 Sept. 23 hours
Apr 15. And 15 October. 1 hour
May 15 and Nov 15 3 hours
June 15 and December 15 5 and 17 hours

Determination of time intervals

This is the simplest. Imagine that the stars rotate on a dial with one hand and on which not 12, but 24 hours. Now, having a compass, we fix the azimuth to the Sun at the beginning and end of the time interval, divide the difference by 15. If there is no compass, then the time interval can be determined by the "sidereal clock". Again, we note their readings at the beginning and at the end, and multiply the difference by 2.

By plants and birds

If neither sun nor moon is visible in the sky, timing becomes difficult. In this case, plants and birds will help you, which tend to start their active life at certain hours. It should be noted that the table below is only valid for good, stable weather. Those. during or before inclement weather, the flowers may not bloom, but this does not mean that the sun will not rise that day.

Today, people's lives go by the clock, and there is nothing difficult to find out the exact time at any time. But even a relatively inaccurate mechanical watch is actually a rather complex device, and even 100 years ago, not everyone could afford it. And 500 years ago, the clock installed on the tower was at best one for the whole city. So how did people determine time before the invention of clocks? About this - in this post.

You can roughly determine the time during the day by the position of the Sun, and this principle formed the basis of the first device for determining the time - the sundial. In such watches, the role of the arrow was played by the shadow of the gnomon, the end of which was directed to the North Pole.

The sundial had many drawbacks - it showed the time correctly only in a certain area, and, of course, it could only be used during the day and in sunny weather.

Also in ancient times, time was measured with water, sand and even fire clocks. True, their accuracy left much to be desired, for example, atmospheric pressure and temperature influenced the course of the water clock, and the burning rate of the wick depended on the wind and air flow.

Astronomical observations can be of great help in determining the time, and even in ancient times people built structures that could play the role of observatories. By observing the position of the stars, it is possible to determine the time with high accuracy, and similar observations are used to determine the exact time today. The apparent motion of stars has an annual cyclicality, so observations of them helped primarily to calculate a specific day in a year. In ancient Egypt, for example, in this way they determined the time of the flood of the Nile, before which it was necessary to sow the fields. At night, the stars also helped determine the time of day. An interesting fact is that the ancient Egyptians identified 12 stars that rose above the horizon during the night at approximately regular intervals. It is since then that the division of the day into 24 hours, which we have adopted today, has gone.

But still, the vast majority of people, especially in rural areas, used to have to determine the time of the year and time of day without any clocks and observatories, just by observing the natural phenomena around them. Today we pay little attention to natural phenomena, but our ancestors were much more observant. Many processes in nature are periodic in nature, and animals and plants, oddly enough, are often able to accurately determine the time in accordance with their internal biological clock. Amazingly, facts are known when animals are able to feel and correctly determine the time of day with an accuracy of the minute!

By observing when plants bloom and birds arrive, you can roughly determine the time of year. Similar observations help to find out the time of day. The life cycle of many plants and animals correlates with the time of day. Flowers of different plants open and close at different times, at the same time. Most flowers bloom in the morning and close in the evening, but there are some that close and open in the middle of the day or at night. Based on this principle, at one time Karl Linnaeus invented and created a flower clock that "worked" from three in the morning until midnight. Looking at them, it was possible to determine the time of day with an accuracy of 30 minutes.

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