You do not always have a map or a compass. But on a sunny day, the Sun can help you find your directions.
Key idea
The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. So the morning Sun is in the eastern sky, and the evening Sun is in the western sky.
Why it works
Earth spins like a top, the same way every day. As your side of Earth turns toward the Sun, the Sun seems to come up on the east side of the sky. As it turns away, the Sun seems to go down on the west side.
Worked example: Morning walk
In the morning you walk toward the rising Sun. Which way are you walking?
- The Sun rises in the east.
- You are walking toward it.
Answer: East.
Common mistake
Some children think the Sun is always straight overhead or always in the south. It moves across the sky during the day. In most of the United States it rises in the eastern sky, passes across the southern sky at midday, and sets in the western sky. It rises exactly east only around the first days of spring and fall.
For the grown-up. Notice where the Sun comes up from a window at home. Mark that window "East." Never look straight at the Sun; point to it instead.