Tag: instruments

Classroom Ideas, Current Event Connection, Geography In the News, Main

Vikings Could Have Used ‘Sunstones’ to Navigate the North Atlantic

WORLD For centuries, Viking seafarers ruled the North Atlantic, braving open seas to travel thousands of kilometers to their colonies in Iceland and Greenland—all without magnetic compasses. How they performed such a feat has long puzzled scientists. Now, one group of researchers has an answer, based on computer simulations—and legendary crystals. (Science) What were Viking sunstones? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key … Continue reading Vikings Could Have Used ‘Sunstones’ to Navigate the North Atlantic

carylsue2 Comments
Main

#tbt: How A Special Compass Helped Richard Byrd Explore the Poles

By Alyson Foster Content & Collections Specialist, National Geographic Library Welcome to #tbt—ThrowBack Thursday! Today we’re getting geographic (and National Geographic) with a blast from the polar past. Say you’re a sailor or a pilot and you want to get to the North or South Pole. How do you find your way there without getting lost? For those of us living in an age of … Continue reading #tbt: How A Special Compass Helped Richard Byrd Explore the Poles

carylsue2 Comments
Current Event Connection, Geography In the News

Viking ‘Sunstone’ May Have Existed

GEOGRAPHY Vikings were legendary navigators—using their gorgeous longships to successfully leave their Scandinavian homes and venture as far east as the rivers of Russia and as far west as the British Isles . . . and North America. For centuries, scientists, historians, and adventurers have pursued the fabled Viking ‘sunstone,’ a device that allowed sailors to navigate in any weather. Using a sunstone, Vikings could … Continue reading Viking ‘Sunstone’ May Have Existed

carylsue3 Comments