How to Tell Time Without a Clock

Telling time without a clock isn't precise, but it's easier than you think. With practice, it's easier to rely on instinct and your brain. Learn to be like primitive man without the crutch of technology. Follow these steps to tell time without a clock.

Instructions

1. Look to see where the sun is located. If it's in the center of the sky, it's noon.

2. Determine where the horizon is located by thinking if it's morning or afternoon. If you know it's morning, the sun is located toward the eastern horizon. Follow the sun down in a straight line to find your eastern horizon.

3. Identify the western horizon if you know it's afternoon. The sun is located toward the western horizon. Follow the sun down in a straight line to find your western horizon.

4. Divide the sky into four equal slices starting at the eastern horizon and ending at the western horizon. Using these four slices, you should be able to determine the time within three hours.

5. Estimate sunrise as being at 6 a.m. If the sun is located somewhere within the first slice, the time is somewhere between 6 and 9 a.m.

6. Pinpoint the time more accurately by estimating the sun's location within the first slice. If it's about halfway through the first slice, it's about 7:30 a.m.

7. Realize that if there is no sun, there's no way to tell time without a clock except by instinct, body rhythms, hunger pangs or brightness of the day. Also, during summer and winter, your calculations may be off by an hour because of the earth's tilt during that time.