It isn’t nearly easy to tell the time at night as it is in daylight. One early instrument was a nocturnal, an instrument used to determine the local time based on the relative positions of two or more stars in the night sky. The first nocturnals were described in the 12th century. Internet DIYs for nocturnals aren’t particularly easy to find so two possibilities can be found at:
- Make a simple nocturnal clock
I built this Star Clock:
I glued the white, back piece to a piece of cardboard before cutting it out. This made the entire Star Clock easier to use because of the cardboard backing.
I used a grommet to put the two pieces together so the top dial would spin freely
The finished Star Clock
and try it out at least three times when you are observing. Make note of the nocturnal time and clock time.
Date Nocturnal Time Local Clock Time 4/11/23 7:45 pm 7:50 pm CST 5/17/23 2:50 am 2:00 am MDT 5/21/23 8:15 pm 9:17 pm MDT How well does it work?
4/11/23 Star Clock Reading
5/17/23 Star Clock Reading
5/21/23 Star Clock Reading
