Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. How does a magnetic compass work: compass. How does a magnetic compass work? Well, it’s all down to basic physics and human ...

Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field generated by electric currents from within the planet. Compasses take advantage of this field to identify north and serve as a navigational aid. But one social ...

Explorers have long trusted compasses to navigate Earth's land and oceans, using our planet's global magnetic field as their guide. But what happens when you take a compass beyond Earth - into orbit, ...