Compass Points question?

[Snadger]

Something thats been bothering me.

I inscribed the actual compass points in concrete on my plot and set up the NSEW positions using a mobile phone app.

On watching the sunset yesterday it appeared to be setting slightly towards the North of West?
Does sunrise and sunset vary throughout the year slightly or is it always East/West?

[mothhawk]

... is it always East/West?

Only on the Equator.

Everywhere else it moves.

[Snadger]

Only on the Equator.

Everywhere else it moves.

Thank goodness for that! This is a substantial move though to nearly NW at sunset

Wonder whether the move will be to S/W in six months?

It does make quite a differnce to where the sun rises and falls in summer and winter and crop positioning.

[Nicos]

Urmmmmm....NW?....I look directly south from my back window.
In the summer the sun rises and sets shining onto the north side of the house(just the first few and last rays of the day)
In winter it rises SE and sets SW

[Cadalot]

See Below for the UK and I've placed it on my allotment plan for Plot 1A, I have not got around to adding it to the plan for 23B yet

[Snadger]

That Ray Mears has got a lot to answer for! Using the sunrise and sunset as East and West and the Plough at night for due North.

If i was lost i would finish up going around in circles!

[Thelma Sanders]

The sun will be setting to the South of due West at this time of year - not to the North of it.
It only goes to the North of due West in the Summer.

[burnie]

But which North are you using? magnetic North is 6 degrees out on grid or true North........

[Cadalot]

But which North are you using? magnetic North is 6 degrees out on grid or true North........

Burnie you sound like an Engineer

[Kirk]

The diffference between magnetic north is the Magnetic Declination, varies dependng on your location and in one place I know a compass is useless. Driving North on Vancouver Island and the rocks are magnetic for about an 8 mile stretch, tne in-car compass will tell you that North is the other way.

Comes into use a lot when setting up a scope mount. People use a compass but the mount has to be true North, not compass/magnetic North. Someone in Toronto was asking why their scope never tracked right, part of the problem was that in Toronto compass North is 10.5 degrees different to true North.

[Bigmallly]

This may or may not help Snadge:

[veggiechicken]

or this...............

SunCalc - sun position, sunlight phases, sunrise, sunset, dusk and dawn times calculator

[Snadger]

Well i must say.....................Its all as clear as mud to I!

[Snadger]

This may or may not help Snadge:

So, is that if you live on the equator?

[Thelma Sanders]

BM is your one for the southern hemisphere?

Northern hemisphere :