Three norths converge over Dorset in UK
A very interesting thing has happened. For the first time in history in Britain, three north poles are aligning over the village of Langton Matravers, near Swanage in Dorset, on Wednesday November 2, 2022.
What are the different norths?
Let’s go over the different north poles. We have the Earth’s geographic poles, defined by the spot where all the human made longitudinal lines meet and which are also the points where the axis on which the earth rotates meets its surface. The part where the lines meet in the northern hemisphere is the True North. Then we come to the magnetic poles generated by Earth’s magnetic field. The Magnetic North Pole is the location where the planet’s magnetic field points vertically downwards. So, if a compass were used in the Magnetic North Pole it will point downwards toward the centre of the Earth. There is also another north known and the Grid North. This is a blue line on an Ordinance Survey map that points to the North Pole and specifically refers to the direction northwards along the grid lines of a map projection. Many topographic maps, including those of the United States Geological Survey and Great Britain’s Ordnance Survey, indicate the difference between grid north, true north, and magnetic north. The difference between the magnetic and grid north is a crucial skill for navigation, specifically…
