Vintage surveyor's compass

There are several types of compasses, including:

•     Magnetic compasses, which use the Earth's magnetic field to determine direction
•     Gyroscopic compasses, which use the principle of gyroscopic precession to determine direction
•     GPS compasses, which use GPS signals to determine direction
•     Optical compasses, which use a sighting mechanism to determine direction by aligning an object with a fixed point.

The magnetic compass is believed to have been first invented by the Chinese during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). However, it was not used for navigation until the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE), when Chinese navigators began using it to navigate ships at sea. The magnetic compass was first brought to Europe by traders during the 12th century, and it quickly became an essential tool for navigation.

During the Age of Exploration, the magnetic more... compass played a crucial role in the success of voyages of discovery, such as those of Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan. In the centuries that followed, the compass was improved upon and combined with other navigational tools, such as the sextant and chronometer, to allow for more accurate navigation at sea.

In the early 20th century, the magnetic compass was replaced by more advanced navigation systems such as radar and GPS less...