Compass Rose?

Can anyone help me read a compass rose?

Compass Rose?
-the arrow that useally pionts up and has a N on it means north

-the arrow that useally pionts right and has a E on it means east

-the arrow that useally pionts left and has a W on it means west

-the arrow that useally pionts down and has a S on it means south
Reply:As mentioned in the two answers above, compass roses indicate direction. However, you may have noticed most nautical charts have two compasses roses, one inside the other. The outer rose is based on true north - North on it points to the north pole. The inner rose is based on magnetic north (where your compass points, the islands of northern Canada). The difference is refered to as magnetic variation which is expressesed as an angle east or west and will vary depending where on the earth you are. (land people call this same idea "declination") Chart compass roses are often used with a parallel rule. For example, lie any edge of the parallel rule from where you are to where you want to go. Walk it so that one edge goes through the x in middle of both compasses roses. You can now read your bearing magnetic on the inner rose and your true bearing on the outer rose. Point a hand baring compass or orienteering compass so that the magentic bearing is inline and it will be pointing at where you want to go, or if you are in a ship with a ship's compass turn the ship until the magnetic number you read is presented on the ships compass and you will be heading in the right direction.



Happy navigating.
Reply:That's a pretty vague question, but the short of it is, north is marked with an N, south is straight down, east is right, west is left.

Northeast is halfway between north and east, southeast is halfway between south and east, southwest is halfway between south and west, and northwest is halfway between north and west.

Now comes the (relatively) tricky part. North-northeast is halfway between north and northeast, east-northeast is halfway between east and northeast, east-southeast is halfway between east and southeast, south-southeast is halfway between south and southeast, south-southwest is halfway between south and southwest, west-southwest is halfway between west and southwest, west-northwest is halfway between west and northwest, and north-northwest is halfway between north and northwest.

Degrees are as follows:

N=360/0

NNE=22.5

NE=45

ENE=67.5

E=90

ESE=112.5

SE=135

SSE=157.5

S=180

SSW=202.5

SW=225

WSW=247.5

W=270

WNW=292.5

NW=315

NNW=337.5

N, E, S, and W are usually the biggest on a compass rose. The next biggest are NE, SE, SW, and NW. NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, and NNW are the smallest points.

You can find out more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_ros...