That does not explain why the compass stops working when I cross the equator
I'm curious, never heard this before. What does the compass do when you cross the hemisphere?
Basically compasses are calibrated to their nearest magnetic pole. Northern Hemisphere compasses when taken across the equator drift a substantial number degrees depending on the compass manufacturer. And vise versa
Some cool history, when the British sent their navy to the Falklands their initial barrage was a mile off target because they recalibrated their navigational equipment when they crossed the equator but not their targeting equipment.
Interesting.
Another question I have that i cant figure is:
The earth spins at like 1,000 miles per hour, and it is rotating around the sun at 66,000 mph. The earth is also on an spinning axis. The earth and sun are moving through the galaxy, and the galaxy through the universe.
So why does the pole star never move? Have you ever seen the time lapse picts of the pole star with all other stars spinning around but not the pole star. I dont how that can constantly be the case with all the moving variables.
What am I missing?
The pole stars move 1degree every 73 years with the equipment and if you live long enough you can measure it
If you care, the is something called magnetic precession. This also requires localized adjustment for the local magnetic variance.
Regardless, this also indirectly infers a spinning globe.
Do seaman use in the southern hemisphere use a compass.
I know they use a sextant.
They use both. They are simply calibrated for the hemisphere in question.
This opens the door for the distinction between magnetic north and true north. Magnetic north changes yearly.
Compasses follow magnetic north. This in turn infers a globe because of inclination changes.
Random article: https://phys.org/news/2019-09-magnetic-north-true-align.html
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