Why compass can be inaccurate Compasses are brilliantly useful but they can sometimes lead us astray, because of two quite different problems called declination (or variation) and deviation. Here's why. compass Declination (variation) Earth spins about an axis (a kind of invisible rod) running through the north pole (sometimes called the geographic north [...]
North Magnetic Pole - "Magnetic North" redirects here. For other uses, see Magnetic North (disambiguation). The North Magnetic Pole is the wandering point on the surface of Earth's Northern Hemisphere at which the planet's magnetic field points vertically downwards (in other words, if a magnetic compass needle is allowed to rotate about a horizontal axis, [...]
Polar Reversals: South-Pole Pointing Compass Imagine your compass pointing south instead of north. Compass If you were alive to see it 800,000 years ago, it would have been the Magnetic South Pole. It takes 200,000 to 300,000 years for Earth’s magnetic field to flip polarity. Flipping polarity means the lines of attraction that enter the [...]
What is the Magnetic North Pole? The Earth is one big magnet. The Magnetic North Pole (also known as the North Dip Pole) is a point on Ellesmere Island in Northern Canada where the northern lines of attraction enter the Earth. A compass needle rests freely in its casing so it can maneuver itself. When [...]
Magnetic North Shift, Shift In Poles Means Magnetic North Now East Of Grid North For First Time In 220 Years Magnetic north has moved from west of Grid North to the east for the first time in 200 years, causing a massive reworking of the Ordnance Survey's maps. While it's usually thought to be an [...]
True North or Magnetic North? More than once, out hiking or paddling, I followed my instincts (the campsite is right over there!) rather than my map and ended up off course. Good pilots and navigators trust instruments over instincts. Compasses point at magnetic north. Scouters have assumptions or impressions about Scouting. True North or [...]
