Pelorus (instrument)
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In marine navigation, a pelorus is a reference tool for maintaining bearing of a vessel at sea. It is a "simplified compass" without a directive element, suitably mounted and provided with vanes to pe
Pelorus aboard HMS Belfast
Compass rose
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A compass rose or compass star, sometimes called a wind rose or rose of the winds, is a polar diagram displaying the orientation of the cardinal directions and their intermediate points. It is used on
Pelorus (instrument)
…only approximate to their theoretical equidistant rhumbs on the sidereal compass. Over time, the elaboration of the pelorus points led to the modern compass rose. In appearance and use, a pelorus resembles a compass or compass repeater, with sighting vanes or a sighting telescope attached, but it has no directive…
Early 32-wind compass rose, shown as a mere collection of color-coded rhumblines, from a Genoese nautical chart (c. 1325)
First ornate compass rose depicted on a chart, from the Catalan Atlas (1375), with the Pole Star as north mark
A 16-point compass rose on the grounds of a library serves both as a pedagogical device and public art.