Points of the compassThe 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 northwest—each located halfway between two cardinal directions.
AzimuthAn azimuth (; from Arabic: اَلسُّمُوت, romanized: as-sumūt, lit.'the directions') is the horizontalangle from a cardinal direction, most commonly north, in a local or observer-centric spherical coordinate system.Direction determinationDirection 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.
SouthSouth is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. EtymologyThe word south comes from Old Englishsūþ, from earlier Proto-Germanic*sunþaz ("south"), possibly related to the same Proto-Indo-European root that the word sun derived from.
NavigationProcess of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicleMap reading with a paper trail mapNavigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, marine navigation, aeronautic navigation, and space navigation.
NorthNorth is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. North is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Compass roseA compass rose or compass star, sometimes called a wind rose or rose of the winds, is a polar diagram displaying the orientation of the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west) and their intermediate points. It is used on compasses (including magnetic ones), maps (such as compass rose networks), or monuments.
WestWest is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. EtymologyThe word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance languages (ouest in French, oest in Catalan, ovest in Italian, vest in Romanian, oeste in Spanish and Portuguese).
ClockwiseTwo-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible senses or "directions" of rotation. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands relative to the observer: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite sense of rotation or revolution is (in Commonwealth English) anticlockwise (ACW) or (in North American English) counterclockwise (CCW).
EastEast is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Vertical and horizontalIn astronomy, geography and related sciences, a line or plane passing by a given point is said to be vertical if it contains the local gravity direction at that point. Conversely, a line or plane is said to be horizontal (or leveled) if it is perpendicular to the vertical at a given point.limbRelated word or term.vesperRelated word or term.vestaRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.