sky compass

American  

noun

Navigation.

1. a device for taking a bearing by means of polarized sunlight when the sun is invisible.

---

Example Sentences

In the case of backtracking for instance, the experience of familiar visual scenery modulates the use of sky compass information.

From Scientific American

Among other skills, they recognize landmarks, use the sun as a sky compass or polarized light to fix directions, and familiarize themselves with particular areas' aromas.

From Seattle Times

When used with the proper tables, the sky compass gives the direction in which the plane is flying.

From Time Magazine Archive

One gadget it has found useful is the Pfund� sky compass which polarizes light reflected from the sky�and points to the spot on the horizon directly above the invisible sun.

From Time Magazine Archive

On three sides the sky compass'd me—wild and red, save where to eastward the dawn was paling: on the fourth the dark rocky face seem'd gliding upward as Billy lower'd.

From Project Gutenberg