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Nature & Science News

Smartphone keys get quantum trick - A quantum physics trick is set to give smartphones and hand-held devices pressure-sensitive switches and touchscreens.

Shuttle makes final night flight - The US space agency (Nasa) has launched its shuttle Endeavour on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

First film of giant deep-sea fish - Scientists film the giant serpent-like oarfish in its natural deep-sea habitat for the first time, as well as the rare manefish.

Genes reveal 'biological ageing' - Scientists say they have pinpointed gene variants that might show how fast people's bodies are ageing.

Dynamic Pluto revealed in images - Images from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal that the icy dwarf planet Pluto undergoes dramatic seasonal changes.

Climate scepticism 'on the rise' - The British public has become increasingly sceptical about climate change, a poll for BBC News suggests.

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North & Declination

Grid North - The direction of a grid line which is parallel to the central meridian on a map. Note: Grid North does not match true north because a map is a flat representation of a curved surface.

True North - The direction of a meridian of longitude that converges on the North Pole. Note: This is just a technical method of saying that True North describes a direct line to the North Pole and the Earth's spin axis.

Magnetic North - The direction indicated by a magnetic compass. Note: Magnetic North moves very slowly with a variable rate.

Declination - The vertical angle difference between True North and this year's Magnetic North. The current year's declination is oftentimes marked in degrees on your map. That's one reason why you might need a current map. For many purposes declination can be ignored, especially for leisure purposes.

Index:
Placenames Around the World / U.S.A. / Britain