Magnetic declination (also called magnetic variation) is the angle between magneticnorthandtruenorth at a particular location on the Earth's surface. The angle can change over time due to polar wandering. Magneticnorth, the default setting on many phone compasses, is often many degrees off from truenorth, depending on where you are on the planet. How far off is magneticnorth from truenorth? The magnetic needle in a compass is attracted by the magnetism of the Earth, and therefore always points to the constantly shifting MagneticNorth Pole. The Earth's magnetic poles are constantly shifting, and scientists believe they've figured out why. Since itsdiscovery, themagneticnorth pole moves about 25 miles (40 kilometers) a year in a northwest direction according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. Whatsmore, Earth's magnetic poles have also 'flipped' whereby north becomes south and south becomes north. Magnetic vs TrueNorthMagneticnorth refers to the direction a compass needle points, aligning with Earth’s magnetic field, which shifts over time due to changes in the planet’s core. Truenorth refers to the geographical North Pole, which is the northernmost point on Earth. It serves as a fixed reference point and remains constant over time.
