G'day all, I know that there is a difference between between Magnetic North (the way the compass points) and True North (where North is actually positioned). When I was in the Army some 20 years ago, it used to be 1 Mils a year difference, and we would add that to our bearings by looking at the print year of that map (say 2008), that makes 3 years difference = 3 Mils. I know that 2 Mils = 0.1 degree, and that it moves in an Easterly direction
In Astronomy we use degrees, minutes and seconds. Can someone tell me what the difference is between True North and Magnetic North? The reason I ask this question is that I want to start Astro Imaging (and I keep reading that it is vital to find the true SCP),and I use a compass to locate South to set up. Am I being to anal?
Am I making this harder than I need to, and should just set up Magnetic south and do a 3 point triangulation? If I am, I would still like to know the variation, if someone could tell me, that would be muchly appreciated. Should I just use a GPS, and will that automatically calculate the variation?
NB. A bit of trivia :- 360 Degrees = 6400 Mils. It was (back then) a more accurate way of finding your way in the bush. If you were 1 Mil out over 1 Km, you would be 10 metres of the mark.
In need of a cuppacoffee, Dutch