Lodestar

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Lodestar

A lodestar is a relatively bright, easily found, star

Star

A star is a massive, luminous ball of Plasma that is held together by its own gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth....
that is used to find direction, particularly with reference to Polaris

Polaris

Polaris is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole , making it the current northern pole star....
, which during the 20th and 21st centuries indicates the direction to the north within a fraction of a degree

Degree (angle)

A degree , usually denoted by ? , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1/360 of a Turn ; one degree is equivalent to p/180 radians....
. (Due to the slow precession of the Earth's axis, this is not a permanent relationship).

The component lode is etymologically related to the verb to lead – lodestars serve as a guide to navigators, as do lodestone

Lodestone

Lodestone or loadstone refers to naturally occurring pieces of intensely magnetic magnetite that were used for magnetizing compasses.Iron, steel and ordinary magnetite are attracted to a magnetic field, including the Earth's magnetic field....
s, naturally magnetic stones historically used in compass

Compass

A compass, magnetic compass or mariner's compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the earth's magnetic poles....
es.

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Encyclopedia

A lodestar is a relatively bright, easily found, star

Star

Polaris

Degree (angle)

Lodestone

Compass

A compass, magnetic compass or mariner's compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the earth's magnetic poles....
es. The lodestar Polaris in particular is an essential element of the definition of the Cardinal direction

Cardinal direction

The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are north, south, east, and west, commonly denoted by their initials - N, S, E, W. They are mostly used for geography orientation on Earth but may be calculated anywhere on a rotating astronomical object....
s used in modern cartography

Cartography

File:Mediterranean chart fourteenth century2.jpgCartography is the study and practice of making Geography Map. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that we can model reality in ways that communicate spatial information effectively....
and compasses.

Lodestones can be used to approximately find the northern direction, and are particularly convenient when the stars are not visible. Due to uneven magnetic deviation

Magnetic deviation

Magnetic deviation is the error induced in a compass by local magnetic fields, which must be allowed for, along with magnetic declination, if accurate bearings are to be calculated....
a lodestone can be significantly less accurate than a lodestar.

In a figurative sense, "lodestar" can mean anything that acts as a guide, inspiration, or example to follow.

The lodestar is present on many of those flags

National flag

File:dannebrog.jpgA national flag is a flag that symbolises a country. The flag is flown by the government, but usually can be flown by citizens of that country as well....
of Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
n nations that use the Pan-African colors. In this context, it represents the ideal of (African) freedom.

Lodestar

See also