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How to navigate by the stars, sun, and landforms
Contributed by: Kay
  • 1. Which celestial body is most reliable for determining direction during the day?
A) The Moon
B) Venus
C) Mars
D) The Sun
  • 2. The Sun rises roughly in the ______ and sets roughly in the ______.
A) South, North
B) North, South
C) West, East
D) East, West
  • 3. What star is most useful for navigation in the Northern Hemisphere?
A) Betelgeuse
B) Polaris (North Star)
C) Sirius
D) Alpha Centauri
  • 4. Polaris is part of which constellation?
A) Ursa Minor (Little Dipper)
B) Ursa Major (Big Dipper)
C) Orion
D) Cassiopeia
  • 5. In the Southern Hemisphere, what constellation is often used to find south?
A) Pleiades
B) Big Dipper
C) Orion
D) Southern Cross
  • 6. What is an astrolabe used for?
A) Measuring the altitude of celestial objects
B) Measuring distance on land
C) Purifying water
D) Predicting the weather
  • 7. What is declination in celestial navigation?
A) The color of a star
B) The distance to a star
C) The brightness of a star
D) The angular distance of a star north or south of the celestial equator
  • 8. Which landform is created by rivers?
A) Valleys
B) Glaciers
C) Volcanoes
D) Mountains
  • 9. What are contour lines on a topographic map used to represent?
A) Elevation
B) Vegetation
C) Temperature
D) Rainfall
  • 10. If contour lines are close together, what does that indicate?
A) Flat terrain
B) Steep slope
C) Gentle slope
D) Water body
  • 11. What is a ridgeline?
A) A line of high ground with slopes descending on either side.
B) A dense forest.
C) A flat area of land.
D) A deep depression in the earth.
  • 12. What is a saddle on a topographic map?
A) The highest point on a mountain.
B) A low point between two areas of higher ground.
C) A steep cliff face.
D) A lake.
  • 13. What is a valley on a topographic map?
A) A high peak.
B) A depression in the land, often containing a stream.
C) A flat plain.
D) A volcano.
  • 14. How can prevailing winds affect the shape of trees?
A) Trees will grow shorter against the wind.
B) Prevailing winds have no impact on tree growth.
C) Trees will only grow straight up regardless of wind.
D) Trees may be bent in the direction the wind frequently blows from.
  • 15. In what direction does moss typically grow?
A) On all sides of trees equally
B) On the south side of trees
C) On the north side of trees (in the Northern Hemisphere)
D) Moss does not grow on trees
  • 16. How can sunrise and sunset positions be used for navigation?
A) They are not useful for navigation.
B) They can only be used in the tropics.
C) They provide a precise north-south reference.
D) They provide a general east-west reference.
  • 17. What is magnetic declination?
A) The height of a mountain.
B) The speed of the wind.
C) The angle between true north and magnetic north.
D) The distance to the North Star.
  • 18. Why is it important to account for magnetic declination?
A) To find water sources.
B) To accurately use a compass with a map.
C) To avoid getting lost.
D) To predict the weather.
  • 19. If the magnetic declination is 10 degrees East, what does that mean?
A) Magnetic North is 10 degrees east of True North.
B) The compass is broken.
C) True North is 10 degrees east of Magnetic North.
D) Magnetic North and True North are aligned.
  • 20. What natural feature indicates a potential water source?
A) A valley or gully
B) A desert
C) A flat plain
D) A hilltop
  • 21. Which of the following is NOT a landform?
A) Hill
B) Atmosphere
C) River
D) Mountain
  • 22. What does the term 'bearing' refer to in navigation?
A) The distance between two points.
B) The color of the soil.
C) The direction from one point to another, measured in degrees.
D) The altitude of a mountain.
  • 23. How can you estimate direction using a watch and the sun in the Northern Hemisphere?
A) Point the minute hand at the sun.
B) Point the hour hand at the sun, and south is halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock.
C) Point 12 o'clock at the sun, and north is halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock.
D) The watch is not useful for determining direction.
  • 24. What is a benchmark?
A) A type of tree
B) A type of cloud
C) A permanently fixed marker indicating a known elevation.
D) A type of compass
  • 25. How can snowdrifts indicate wind direction?
A) Snowdrifts form randomly.
B) Snowdrifts typically form on the leeward (downwind) side of objects.
C) Snowdrifts are not related to wind direction.
D) Snowdrifts always form on the windward side.
  • 26. Why is it important to have multiple navigation methods?
A) Because it's fun.
B) Because one method is always superior.
C) To account for errors and redundancy in case one method fails.
D) To make navigation more complicated.
  • 27. What is triangulation?
A) A method of determining a location using bearings from two or more known points.
B) A type of knot.
C) A method of cooking.
D) A type of map.
  • 28. What is the prime meridian?
A) The line of 0° longitude.
B) The North Pole.
C) The International Date Line.
D) The equator.
  • 29. What type of map is most useful for hiking in mountainous terrain?
A) Weather Map
B) Road Map
C) Political Map
D) Topographic Map
  • 30. If you are traveling westward and see the sun setting to your right, you are likely headed which direction?
A) North
B) West
C) East
D) South
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