Q&A for How to Determine Latitude and Longitude

With a relatively simple table of noon readings from the sun, it is possible to use cosine to calculate your latitude position (requires an understanding of trigonometry to do so fairly effectively). Longitude is easier. If you have a rather precise watch, set to universal time coordinates, and find a way to accurately determine high noon sun angle at your location. Simply verify highest sun, note it (to the second) in local time, then by subtracting your local time from UTC time, you have hours and minutes. Now, knowing that longitude is basically 15 degrees per hour, calculate your longitude.

Cardinal points: north, south, east, and west. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. To understand where north, south, east, and west are, first point your left arm towards the sun in the morning.

A GPS receiver would be your best bet. While you could do it with a sextant and a very good clock, the portable GPS receiver will be both less expensive and far more handy.

Look at a map or a globe. The vertical lines represent longitude and the horizontal lines represent latitude.

Since two of the sides will form a 90 degree angle, you can draw an imaginary line to create a right triangle and measure the length or angle of the line.