jan 1, 1400 - (1400) Scientists realized their compasses did not point to true north

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This was when scientists realized that the north their compasses were pointing towards was not true north. It was , in fact, magnetic north. When close to the equator, this slight difference may not be of much importance, but as you get farther and farther away from the equator, the difference would effect your direction more and more. It could even end up being several kilometers off, which would be disastrous for some sailing ships and travelers.

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