| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Duck-Billed Platypus
Guru
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 576
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States of America
|
 Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 8:04 am Post subject: Map orientation... |
 |
|
Does anyone know why on a map North is always on top and South on bottom?
_________________
Dentists are evil. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
PowerFactor
Veteran
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 1692
Location: out of it
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 8:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
Because somebody hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of years ago decided that's the way it should be, and it stuck.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pianosaurus
l33t
Joined: 19 Apr 2004
Posts: 943
Location: Bash$
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 8:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | The convention came a few centuries ago when Northern hemisphere, European navigators started using the North star and the magnetic compass. Before that, the top of the map was to the East which is where the word orientation comes from. |
http://www.flourish.org/upsidedownmap/
_________________
PKA Cuber
Please add [SOLVED] to the subject of your original post when you feel that your problem is resolved.
Adopt an unanswered post |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PowerFactor
Veteran
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 1692
Location: out of it
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 8:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I wondered if it had something to do with looking up at the north star. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pianosaurus
l33t
Joined: 19 Apr 2004
Posts: 943
Location: Bash$
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 8:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
| PowerFactor wrote: | | I wondered if it had something to do with looking up at the north star. |
Yupp. But I guess it is convenient to have a world standard too.
_________________
PKA Cuber
Please add [SOLVED] to the subject of your original post when you feel that your problem is resolved.
Adopt an unanswered post |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
beejay
Retired Dev
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 924
Location: Flensungen (das liegt neben Merlau)
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 8:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
An interesting fact may be, that star maps are always mirrored along the East-West-Axis (so that north is on the bottom and south on the top). The Purpose for this is, that you can put the map over your head and directly compare the map to the sky.
_________________
Dort wo schwarzer Rauch aufsteigt, sich alsbald ein Fehler zeigt.
www.paludis-sucks.org | www.gentoo.de | www.gentoo-ev.org | www.gentoo.org |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Albert_Alligator
Apprentice
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 193
Location: Okefenokee Swamp
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 4:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I think that my map's orientation is homotablula, but I won't hold it against it! 
_________________
As Socrates once said "I drank what?" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
porodzila
Guru
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 305
Location: Terrapin Station
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 8:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I would think that with north up the map would get top heavy and fall over. It also looks a lot nicer with south in the top. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
lamaistres
Apprentice
Joined: 17 Dec 2002
Posts: 268
Location: Seattle
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 11:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I think it has to do with a compass. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
porodzila
Guru
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 305
Location: Terrapin Station
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 11:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| lamaistres wrote: | | I think it has to do with a compass. |
How does a compass keep the maps from falling over. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
fernandotcl
Veteran
Joined: 20 Nov 2003
Posts: 1396
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 11:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| It was made that way so that Europeans could see themselves on the top. Now it doesn't make sense anymore. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
porodzila
Guru
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 305
Location: Terrapin Station
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 11:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| And there is the fact that most land is in the northern hemisphere. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pianosaurus
l33t
Joined: 19 Apr 2004
Posts: 943
Location: Bash$
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 11:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| fernandotcl wrote: | | It was made that way so that Europeans could see themselves on the top. Now it doesn't make sense anymore. |
Not true (see my first post). It has to do with holtding a map and facing the north star. Besides, because of magnetic compasses, it's practical using either north or south, so it still makes at least 50% sense.
_________________
PKA Cuber
Please add [SOLVED] to the subject of your original post when you feel that your problem is resolved.
Adopt an unanswered post |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Slyde
Guru
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 314
|
| Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 11:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I think the Bush adminstration and Halliburton were in it just for oil. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Off the Wall
