Because they are intimately related to the observed movement of the Sun, the four cardinal directional points cannot alter. The north and south poles are not constantly aligned with the sun. Rather, the position of these poles varies over time because of the rotation of the Earth.
The east and west directions are fixed in position because we observe them when the Sun is high in the sky. If you were to stand on a hilltop and look toward the horizon, you would see that it is always between the lines of division between the clouds to the east and those to the west.
These facts about the cardinal directions explain why we sometimes encounter references to east for what should be the west direction and vice versa. For example, "the wind was coming east" means that it was coming from the west. To say that the wind was coming from the east would be incorrect because there is no such thing as an east wind.
Another example involves the phrase "going home." It is well known that people living in parts of the United States use the word "home" differently than people living in other countries do. In America, "going home" usually means returning to where you live; but in England, it often means going back to your family home.
North, south, east, and west are the four cardinal directions. The rising and setting of the sun serve as reference points in these directions. The sun seems to rise in the east and set in the west because the Earth revolves from west to east. The North and South Poles can serve as directional reference points. They are fixed in location, so they cannot change direction.
The compass points north and south. These are the only two options for true north or south. If you look at a map and see numbers pointing east or west, they are indicating magnetic north or south. Magnetic north is always changing, while true north is fixed at a constant angle relative to geographic north.
An arrow can point in any direction, but it usually points toward something important. If an arrow was stuck into the ground, it would be an indication that something valuable was hidden there.
A cross is used to indicate danger. It is the first warning we get when exploring new places. If you encounter a cross when hiking, make sure not to touch it with your hand. You could be contacting a metal detector, and this would cause you to alarm.
A dot is used to indicate something important or special. When looking at a map, dots often mark cities, towns, villages, etc. You should try to visit every single dot on your map. This will help you learn about everything in your area.
One of the four cardinal directions, or points of the compass, is West. It is the opposite direction of the east, and it is where the sun sets. East is the name of the direction which faces it, and its symbol is Ω (omega).
West is a reference to the position of the sun in relation to Earth during spring and summer. During these seasons, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so the term west makes sense. During fall and winter, the sun rises due to geosynchronous orbit and sets due to being farther away from Earth than the moon, so these terms don't make much sense.
There are other ways to refer to the west direction including: back, tail, oppostie, reverse, etc.
The word cardinal comes from the Latin cardo, meaning "knot", because the points north, south, east, and west form a square. The first three points are called the ternary sphere, because they represent the only angles on a spherical earth. On a flat surface, however, you can draw more than three lines between any two points.
The west direction is used to describe movements of animals and objects relative to Earth's axis of rotation.
The cardinal directions are north, south, east, and west. These four cardinal directions are denoted by the letters N, S, E, and W. North, south, east, and west are the four cardinal directions. The position of the sun in the sky can be used to identify direction. For example, when the sun is high in the sky it will be hot out and when it is low in the sky it will be cold.
North is toward the top of the map and west is toward the bottom. East and west are the opposite ways of describing direction so they do not need to be reversed. If you were to draw an arrow on the ground to show direction it would go from north to south.
North is also known as polar axis direction because it points towards the center of the earth's magnetic field which is near the north pole. South is the opposite direction and east is between north and south. West is closer to north than south.
You should always indicate the cardinal direction for each feature on your map. This will help others reading your map understand your orientation references and avoid confusion. For example, if you were to leave out the east direction on a map it might seem like your organization is facing west instead of east.
East is usually indicated by the sunrise or sunset direction.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Spiritual Wander Inc.
