The Magnetic Map

Information originally posted by Aaron Dover

Have you ever wondered why the Earths magnetic field is sort of but not really lined up with sky rotation axis of Polaris but not quite? And why it moves around in complicated ways only scientists can grasp? And why you need to correct for this if you want to use a map and compass to navigate? And why it is so hard to get the detailed data on this field unless you are a licensed oil drilling company? And why you have to distort your map by like 30 or 40 degrees in some places? And yet we still navigate by compass and not the stars when its so COMPLICATED to use a compass?

And why the maps aren’t already corrected for this? And why this data is not public domain but is somehow secret and licensed to rich oil barons only?

And how we went to f***ing Jupiter but don’t know where the South Pole is?

I wondered about these and many other things. Until I figured it all out.