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ANALEMMA The analemma is a figure-8-shaped diagram that shows the declination of the sun (the angle that the sun is from the equator), for each day in the year. If you took a snapshot of the sun at the same time each day (from the same location), the Sun would make a figure shaped like an analemma during the course of a year (this is because the Earth is tilted on its axis and because it doesn't orbit the Sun in a perfect circle).

CARTOGRAPHY Cartography is the study and the construction of maps.

CARAVEL A caravel is a type of two- or three-masted sailing ship developed in the 1400s by the Portuguese.

COMPASS A compass is a device that always points north. It is used for navigation.

COMPASS ROSE A compass rose is a design on a map that shows direction. It points which way is north, south, east, west, and some intermediate directions on the map.

EQUATOR The equator is an imaginary circle around the earth, halfway between the north and south poles.

INTERNATIONAL MARINE SIGNAL FLAGS International marine signal flags are a system of flags used to communicate at sea. You can spell out your message, but there are also some shorthand meanings. For example, "DX" means "ship is sinking," "C" means "yes," and "N" means "no."

LATITUDE Latitude is the angular distance north or south from the equator to a particular location. The equator has a latitude of zero degrees. The North Pole has a latitude of 90 degrees North; the South Pole has a latitude of 90 degrees South.

LONGITUDE Longitude is the angular distance east or west from the north-south line that passes through Greenwich, England, to a particular location. Greenwich, England, has a longitude of zero degrees. The farther east or west of Greenwich you are, the greater your longitude (east or west). The Midway Islands (in the Pacific Ocean) have a longitude of 180 degrees (they are on the opposite side of the globe from Greenwich).

MAP A map is a representation of a place. There are many different types of maps that have different uses.

MERCATOR PROJECTION A Mercator projection is a type of map in which the true compass direction are kept intact (lines of latitude and longitude intersect at right angles), but areas are distorted (for example, polar areas look much larger than they really are). Mercator Projections are useful for nautical navigation. Geradus Mercato first devised this projection for navigation in 1569.

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE The Northern Hemisphere is the half of the Earth that is north of the equator.

NORTH POLE The North Pole is the northernmost place on Earth. There is no land at the North Pole, but there is a layer of ice on top of the Arctic Ocean around the pole.

NORTH STAR The north star is a star that is located almost due north and is useful for navigation. Polaris is currently the pole star of the Northern Hemisphere.

POLE STAR A pole star is a star that is located almost due north or due south, which makes it useful for navigation. Polaris is the pole star of the Northern Hemisphere. There is no pole star for the Southern Hemisphere; the constellation Crux, however, is around the south celestial pole.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE The Southern Hemisphere is the half of the Earth that is south of the equator.

SOUTH POLE The south pole is the southernmost point on the Earth; it is located on the continent of Antarctica.

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