True north is defined as which of the following?

True north is defined as which of the following?

• A. The direction to the geographic North Pole.
• B. The direction a compass needle points (in the northern hemisphere).
• C. The direction toward magnetic variation.
• D. The direction of wind relative to north.

Answer: (A)

True north points toward the geographic North Pole—the fixed point where Earth’s axis meets the surface. It’s the reference used on maps and for navigation calculations. A compass, on the other hand, points toward magnetic north, which is a different location that shifts with where you are and over time due to the Earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic variation (magnetic declination) is the angular difference between true north and magnetic north, not a separate direction itself. Wind direction isn’t related to north in terms of navigation. So the direction to the geographic North Pole best defines true north.

True north points toward the geographic North Pole—the fixed point where Earth’s axis meets the surface. It’s the reference used on maps and for navigation calculations. A compass, on the other hand, points toward magnetic north, which is a different location that shifts with where you are and over time due to the Earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic variation (magnetic declination) is the angular difference between true north and magnetic north, not a separate direction itself. Wind direction isn’t related to north in terms of navigation. So the direction to the geographic North Pole best defines true north.