Originally Posted By: Alex
Originally Posted By: Dan_McI
Originally Posted By: SHawk
On the same note, what direction is shown by the shortest shadow a local noon when using the stick and shadow method of direction finding.


Wouldn't that depend on both the observers latitude and the sun's declination?


No, it wouldn't depend on either. The shortest shadow from a steady vertical stick points directly to the true north (in northern hemisphere) no matter what. Just remove the "local noon" wording and don't be confused with magnetic north term.


Not always.

If you are near the Equator, and the sun is near the solstice, then the sun is going to possibly cast a shadow toward the south, even though you are in the northern hemisphere.

For example, today the sun has a declination of about 23.1 degrees North. If you were at a latitude of ten degrees north, then the sun would cast a shadow to the south at noon or local apparent north. As the sun was nearer setting or rising, the direction of the shadow would change toward the eat or west, but it would never be north during the day.

Alternatively, if you are in very high latitudes near the solstice, the days during which the sun never sets, then near midnight, the sun will also cast a shadow toward the south.