File:Magnetic_declination.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
magnetic declination
Sign in to saveAlso known as magnetic variation, variation, declination, northeasting of the needle
angle on the horizontal plane between magnetic north and true north
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- different from
- magnetic deviation
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Encyclopedic overview
Example of magnetic declination showing a compass needle with a "positive" (or "easterly") variation from geographic north. Ng is geographic or true north, Nm is magnetic north, and δ is magnetic declination.
Magnetic declination (also called magnetic variation) is the angle between magnetic north and true north at a particular location on the Earth's surface. The angle can change over time due to polar wandering.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “magnetic declination” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.