Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two principal points of the compass in clockwise order. Compass in a wooden box A compass (or mariners compass) is a navigational instrument for finding directions on the earth. ... A clockwise motion is one that proceeds like the clocks hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. ...
A compass can be used in conjunction with a clock and a sextant to provide a very accurate navigation capability.
Other features common on modern handheld compasses are a baseplate with rulings for measuring distances on maps, a rotating bezel for measuring bearings of distant objects, and a sighting mirror that lets the user see both the compass needle and a distant object at the same time.
In math and drafting, device known as a compass (or pair of compasses) is used by mathematicians and craftsmen in geometry to draw or inscribe a circle or arc.
The compass, for example, is described and reported being used in the book Lubab ul-Albab for purposes of sea navigation around 1220.
Prior to the introduction of the compass, wayfinding at sea was primarily done via celestial navigation, supplemented in some places by the use of soundings.
Small compasses found in clocks and other electronic gear are Solid-state electronics usually built out of two or three magnetic field sensors that provide data for a microprocessor.
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