The Compass Museum
From lodestones to quantum compasses — the history and science of finding direction.
The Compass Rose
Drag the dial to set a bearing. On mobile, the device sensor can drive the needle. The arm sweeps with spring-damped physics.
The Collection
Click any instrument to copy its key specs. Filter by category or era to explore different families of navigation tools.
Milestones of Navigation
Scroll through the breakthroughs that shaped how we find our way.
Magnetic Declination
Magnetic north and true north rarely agree. Click the map to see approximate declination for any region. Press Play to watch the magnetic north pole drift 1900–2025 — including its sharp 2019–2020 turn across the 180° meridian.
Model is a simplified tilted dipole — accurate enough for a museum, but not the World Magnetic Model (WMM/IGRF) you would use to fly an airplane.
Hands-on Instruments
Calculate great-circle bearings, convert between true and magnetic, and watch dead-reckoning fail when there's a wind drift.