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All adventuresThen use it to find north

Find the Big Dipper

Seven bright stars in the shape of a saucepan, visible from Lambton County on any clear night of the year. Find it, then follow two of its stars to the North Star, and you'll never be lost in the dark again.

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Find the Big Dipper

Read the full instructions and gather your supplies before starting.

Step 1 of 6

Go outside about an hour after sunset. Turn off every light you can. Give your eyes ten full minutes in the dark; they'll keep getting better.

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Time20 min
You getnorth, without a compass
DifficultyEasy
SectionExploring

This one is all yours

Nothing sharp, nothing hot, nowhere far. Tell someone what you're up to, then go ahead and do it on your own.

What to do there

6 steps. Tap one when it's done.

Why it's like that

Every other star wheels across the sky through the night because the Earth is spinning. Polaris barely moves because it sits almost exactly above the North Pole, right on the axis the Earth spins around, so it stays put while everything else circles it.

Lambton County twist

Lambton is far enough north that the Big Dipper never sets. It circles Polaris all year, which is why sailors on Lake Huron could always find it.