I presume your question is how to convert a compass reading to a map reading. If so read on...
1. Determine if magnetic north points to the east or west of true north in your location. (See magnetic declination)
2. If you think of easterly declinations as always having positive values and
westerly declinations as having negative values - imagine a directed number line where values to the right (East) of 0 (which we will call True North) are positive and numbers to the left (West) are negative.
Now all one need remember is this mnemonic - MTA (Magnetic to True ADD).
Example 1: Magnetic Heading is 23 degrees in an area where East Decl. is 7 degrees. True North = 23 + 7 = 30 degrees
Example 2: Magnetic Heading is 150 degrees in an area where West Decl. is 14 degrees. True North = 150 + (-14) = 136 degrees
nothing special except with a compass you could find your way to the true north pole
The declination diagram
The declination diagram
The declination diagram
The declination diagram
You don't need to worry about declination to find true north; just observe the north star, and that's it. Perhaps you're starting with a magnetic compass and want to find true north? The correction factor is "magnetic variation", or "magvar", and this is printed on your charts.
To find the variation from true north, you can use a magnetic compass to determine the magnetic north and then calculate the angle between the magnetic north and the true north. This angle is known as the magnetic declination or variation. Many maps and GPS devices provide information about the current magnetic declination in a specific location.
One method to determine true north without a compass at night is by using the stars. You can locate the North Star (Polaris) which is positioned close to true north. Draw an imaginary line from the North Star to the ground to find where true north lies.
It means turning it around so that it is aligned with the real world. You'd use a compass for this to find magnetic north, then find true north and then align the map north to that
Look for the compass rose, it will point North. Also look for the table that shows map north, true north and magnetic north.
True north refers to the geographic direction towards the North Pole, where all lines of longitude converge. It is a fixed point used for navigation and orientation, unlike magnetic north which varies based on the Earth's magnetic field.
True North