On Earth, compasses always point north—but when you’re drifting outside our planet’s magnetosphere, things get more complicated.

Iron containing short nerve branches in the upper beak of birds may serve as a magnetometer to measure the vector of the Earth magnetic field (intensity and inclination) and not only as a magnetic ...

Monarch butterflies have a keen sense of direction, even on cloudy days. This is because they have a magnetic compass to direct their migration in addition to navigating by the position of the sun ...

With a compass, you can find out which way a magnetic pole is—and from that, you can approximate other directions such as where south, east and west are as well. On supporting science journalism ...

The magnetic compass — used in navigation for hundreds of years — is a tool that helps you find your way. Good beginner hiking/orienteering compasses can be found online or in outdoor sections ...

Scientists have shown that tiny crystals found inside bacteria provide a magnetic compass to help them navigate through sediment to find the best food, in research out today.