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  2. Compass - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass

    A modern military compass, with included sight device for aligning. A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with magnetic north.

  3. Azimuth compass - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azimuth_compass

    The azimuth compass still had great value in letting the master of a ship determine how far the magnetic compass varied from true north, so he could set a more accurate course while following a line of constant latitude or using dead reckoning to navigate. In 1795 a British First Rate ship would have up to eight compasses, of which one was an ...

  4. Points of the compass - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Points_of_the_compass

    32-point compass rose. The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography.A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each separated by 90 degrees, and secondarily divided by four ordinal (intercardinal) directions—northeast, southeast, southwest, and ...

  5. Straightedge and compass construction - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straightedge_and_compass...

    The compass can have an arbitrarily large radius with no markings on it (unlike certain real-world compasses). Circles and circular arcs can be drawn starting from two given points: the centre and a point on the circle. The compass may or may not collapse (i.e. fold after being taken off the page, erasing its 'stored' radius).

  6. History of the compass - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_compass

    Song dynasty figurine of a man holding a compass. The compass is a magnetometer used for navigation and orientation that shows direction in regards to the geographic cardinal points. The structure of a compass consists of the compass rose, which displays the four main directions on it: East (E), South (S), West (W) and North (N). The angle ...

  7. Cardinal direction - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_direction

    Direction determination refers to the ways in which a cardinal direction or compass point can be determined in navigation and wayfinding.The most direct method is using a compass (magnetic compass or gyrocompass), but indirect methods exist, based on the Sun path (unaided or by using a watch or sundial), the stars, and satellite navigation.

  8. History of geomagnetism - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_geomagnetism

    A reconstruction of an early Chinese compass. A spoon made of lodestone, its handle pointing south, was mounted on a brass plate with astrological symbols. [1]The history of geomagnetism is concerned with the history of the study of Earth's magnetic field.

  9. Earth inductor compass - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_inductor_compass

    The anemometer of the earth inductor compass on the Spirit of St. Louis shows as a small "T" shape above the fuselage behind the wing. The Earth inductor compass (or simply induction compass [1]) is a compass that determines directions using the principle of electromagnetic induction, with the Earth's magnetic field acting as the induction field for an electric generator. [2]