If you are lost in a wild area, do you know that an analog clock can help you find out the directions?
If you heard about this before, did you ever doubt how accurate this method is?
In this guide, you will use your phone as an analog clock to practice the process...
And test your accuracy with the compass of your phone!
Lay the clock horizontally,
And point the hour hand of the clock at the sun.
The middle point between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock direction approximately indicates south.
Check you result against the true south direction.
Why your result might be inaccurate?
If your environment did not have direct sunlight, like in a cloudy day, finding the orientation of the sun can be difficult.
This animation shows what your result would be if you were pointing at the sun precisely.
The method assumes your clock follows the local mean time,
But your clock actually follows the time of the time zone your are at, which is slightly different.
This animation shows what your result would be if your clock followed the local mean time.
Moreover, this method gives only approximated results, with small but inherent system errors.
This animation shows the true south direction.