If an astronaut took a compass to outer space would it still point magnetic north?

Question

Is there still a north, south, east, west in outer space. There's still an up, down, left and right sides, or is that different?

Answer 1

The "magnetic north" only refers to the north pole on a planet. In true outer space, poles do not exist. It would point to any direction with a magnetic field, or even more interestingly, any nearby source of iron, like an asteroid possibly.

Answer 2

SHORT ANSWER: A compass always points to magnetic SOUTH. The earth's north pole, the one near the canadian arctic is actually a magnetic SOUTHpole. So one could say that the compass NEVERpoints to magnetic north.!!!!

LONGER ANSWER

The earth can be thought of as a large magnetic solenoid with a south pole close to what we call our geographic north pole (somewhere in canada's high arctic) and a north magnetic pole close to what we call our south geographic pole (somewhere in antarctica).

You can read that again if you like, I didn't believe it at first, but it is true, the magnetic north pole is actually a south pole.

By convention, outside the solenoid -i.e. outside the earth, the magnetic lines of force leave the north magnetic pole (anarctica) and flow up to the northern hemisphere and find their way INTO the north pole (which is actually a south magnetic pole, in canada).

A compass will align itself and point in the direction of this magnetic line of force, hence the pointy end will point toward the pole in Canada's arctic.

So far so good.

For most areas on the earth the lines of force are mostly horizontal and the compass works fine.

For a traveller walking close to either pole, the lines of force are either going straight up in the antarctic or straight down in the arctic. This makes the compass not work well as there is very little horizontal component of the field to make the needle point in any particular direction. In fact the needle may even tip up or down.

So let's leave the surface of the earth, the lines of force are still there only weaker and your compass will still align itself with these lines, but, what it will mean to you as the traveller in space is not very much.

As you get farther out the field is even weaker and your compass will probably start to align itself with magnetic fields generated by nearby ferromagnetic items (belt buckles) or various motors, transformers and so on -any current in a nearby wire will generate a magnetic field which may interfere with the compass.

My guess is that the GPS system is being used for navigation in near earth orbit for the space station and shuttle, etc. If we move beyond earth orbit where that makes sense then we would need to start using star charts to triangulate our positions.

Answer 3

Assuming that you are visualizing one of the shuttle or space station astronauts the answer is yes. These guys are only about 40 miles above us and the magnetic poles would still affect the compass.

Up is not North. Left and right are not East and West but are relative to the way a guy is facing. At this distance, up is still away from the earth, but getting left and right mixed up could be a little more penal. You had better know which way a guy is facing before you tell him to turn left.

A little farther out, say 500,000 miles, the compass would either not work or reference its self to another larger magnetic body. Up and down become referenced to your feet and head and there is no upside down, right side up or sideways. Left and right are still referenced to the way a guy is facing. Things change a little though because the Sun could be to your left and Mars to your right as opposed to Detroit and Kalamazoo.

Answer 4

The compass points north because of the magnetic field that is generated by and surrounds our earth. So, in low earth orbit a very sensitive compass still might point to magnetic north. However, when in true "outer space" it will only react if there is a sufficient magnetic field present.

Answer 5

All magnetic compasses point to the north *magnetic* pole. The magnetic north pole moves around. It can move as much as 40 km per year. It also moves daily. Every day, the magnetic north pole has an elliptical movement of approximately 80 km from the average point of its center. That means when you are using a compass, you have to be aware of the difference between magnetic north and geographic north.

Answer 6

Of course not. What makes a compass point north is the Earth's large deposit of ferrous rock (iron) near its north pole. Not to say a compass wouldn't do anything in space. It would probably jump all over the place, but I don't' really know. Just guessing.

Answer 7

Yes. A ferromagnetic object will attempt to line up with the earth's magnetic field.

The magnetic field of the earth extends into three dimensions and is not just on the earth's surface.

I am assuming that you are talking about an astronaut in low earth orbit.

Answer 8

As long as you are still within the Earth's magnetic field, which extends several thousand miles into space, yes, it would still point "north" (toward the magnetic pole).

Answer 9

no there is nothing to make it point that way. the earth has an iron core that emmits magnetic poles at north and south space doesnt

Answer 10

It depends how far from the earth he went, and what other magnetic fields were in the area. But close to the earth, yes.