What is the difference between magnetic north and true north?

Answer 1

the difference in degrees between true and magnetic varies where you are in the world, proper navigation charts will give the difference between true and magnetic in that geographic region on the compass rose of the chart and on the chart header

your compass will point at magnetic north (unless you have a deviation error caused by nearby iron) , using the magnetic variation on the chart eg. 13' E then add 13 ' East to your reading to get true north

as mentioned in an earlier answer the magnetic pole slowly moves so you have to add a time factor to the reading; the compass rose will state the year of the reading and an amount to be added for each year since that date.

Answer 2

Good question.
The other answers are thorough and informative.\
I'd like to add a note here:
"(1)Since the north pole of a compass needle points north, the magnetic pole which is in the geographic north is actually A SOUTH POLE MAGNETICALLY. Nonetheless, this pole is still often called the "north magnetic pole" simply because it is in the north. Similarly, the Earth's south magnetic pole, near the geographic south pole, is MAGNETICALLY A NORTH POLE.
(2) The Earth's magnetic poles do not coincide with the geographic poles (which are on the Earth's axis of rotation). The north magnetic pole, for example , is in northern canada, about 1300 km from the geographic north pole. This must be taken into account when using a compass."

Answer 3

The true North and South Poles form the endpoints of the Earth's rotational axis. If you stand on the South Pole, you will be in all 24 time zones at once. (You can't stand on the North Pole, as it is in the Arctic Ocean!) The magnetic North and South Poles are the points that a compass points to. The magnetic North Pole is about 1,000 miles from the true North Pole.

Answer 4

Every now and then the earth's magnetic fields change direction. That changes magnetic north, which is more of a Northwest then a north. True north is what we actually consider north (up.)

Answer 5

The North Pole can be defined in five different ways:

The Geographic North Pole, also known as True North, is the basis for the astronomic north pole, which is defined as the point at which the axis of rotation meets the surface of the earth, with the earth rotating counter-clockwise as observed from space. It is also the northernmost point on Earth; the point at which any linear direction of travel is south. The term North Pole by itself usually refers to this definition.
The Magnetic North Pole is one of the two poles of the Earth's geomagnetic field's dipole moment, specifically the one that is closest to the geographic north pole. Navigators refer to it as the magnetic north pole because by knowing the angular declination from it to the geographic north pole where they are (usually printed on maps) they can determine the direction of the geographic north pole. Ironically, the magnetic north pole happens to be the Earth's south dipole moment, because by custom the magnetic poles are named after the geographic poles they are nearest. This pole moves in various ways, in ellipses, in a random motion over eons, and by the two poles switching places.

Answer 6

True North is the point about which the earth rotates on its axis. Magnetic North is the point at which the earth's electromagnetic field indicates a charge, to which our compasses point as if really north.

Answer 7

well there are 2 norths.big deal.one is ona cumpas and one is magnetic to the sun.