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If you were the boss of a group of intergalactic explorers, what would you use as the "North" on the space compasses? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

35 comments fedilink hide all child comments

On Earth, the cardinal directions are straightforward. The arrow on a compass points to the nearest magnetic pole. You can then use it to travel anywhere on Earth.

In space, the idea of anything being "central" enough to be used as a "North" (since the universe has no center) or being fixated enough to not somehow pose issues is more convoluted.

If you were a pioneer of space exploration, what would your "North" be?

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I’d use Discworld nomenclature:

Hubward
Rimward
Turnwise
Widdershins

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Fun fact, widdershins is a real word, it used to be used for talking about someone walking around a church counter clockwise, which would make it possible for a demon (or fae?) to snatch children up

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

What about catywampus?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Also up and down, I assume?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I'd probably just make that height over or under the middle of rotation

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

A few problems with this. That requires a world experienced in 2D, with one axis being towards or away from the centre, and the other being clockwise or anticlockwise. Works great when discussing intragalactic travel, but OP specified intergalactic travel. Where there is neither an obvious centre point nor a single plane on which things predominantly occur.

Though fwiw, language very similar to that is legitimately used in some real world languages. Some Malayo-Polynesian languages, such as Manam, talk about direction in terms of seaward, inland, clockwise, and anticlockwise.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

You can prefix the coordinates with the name of the current nearest star or center of galaxy.

Universal coordinates are fairly useless anyway, given how everything moves around in space.