The problem of orientation in space has always been very acute for a person. Naturally, we are not talking about short distances, when you can take a lone tree or a large stone as a guide. We are talking about large spaces, when the compass becomes the main assistant of the traveler. In this case, one cannot do without characterizing such concepts as azimuth and magnetic declination.
We know from school that the azimuth is the angle that is formed between the direction to the object chosen by the person and the direction to the north, where the compass needle points. However, the whole point is that the compass needle does not point to the North Pole, as is commonly believed, but to the North Magnetic Pole, the position of which not only differs from the geographic one, but also changes over time (however, these changes occur so slowly that they can be neglected).
Thus, it turns out that with the help of a compass a person finds the magnetic azimuth, and not the true one. If we are talking about a simple hiking trip, then such an error can be neglected, but the ships inthe sea, planes in the sky and a lot of other equipment must be guided precisely by the true azimuth, otherwise a disaster may occur.
True azimuth, as follows from the above text, is the angle between the direction of an object or some other landmark and the direction of the geographic North Pole of the Earth. In this case, the difference between the magnetic azimuth and the true one is called the magnetic declination. It is generally accepted that if the magnetic declination has a direction to the east, then it is called "Eastern". It is designated in special tables with the sign "+". And if vice versa, then the magnetic declination is "western" and is indicated by the sign "-".
The concept of magnetic declination was introduced into scientific circulation a long time ago: the famous navigator H. Columbus not only used it in his famous voyages to the shores of America, but was also the first to draw attention to the fact that its value varies depending on one or other territory.
Now there is no doubt that the numerical value of the magnetic declination is not the same in different parts of the globe. So, for example, in the city of Moscow it is +80, and for other regions it reaches more significant indicators. It is especially important to take into account the magnetic declination when working with geographical maps, when you need to constantly translate the magnetic azimuth into the true one, and vice versa.
Artillerymen use a special device - a compass to correct their shooting. It is used to determine the exactdirections to some landmark, which is then used as a starting point when shooting. At its core, with the help of the compass, the magnetic azimuth is translated into the true one.
Thus, the magnetic declination is the amount by which the magnetic azimuth differs from the true one. This knowledge is necessary not only when making long expeditions, but also during artillery firing, as well as for the normal navigation of ships and aircraft flights.
