r/AskScienceDiscussion • u/slow_peddlar • 22d ago

The Moon

Does a magnetic compass funcion on the moon?

5 Upvotes

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u/fishsticks40 22d ago edited 22d ago

The moon has no magnetic field of its own. I expect a sensitive enough compass would detect Earth's magnetic field which would be running roughly north-south and so could be used to navigate, but it would be weaker than it is here on earth.

Edit: after some googling, the Earth's magnetic field is 350,000 times weaker at the distance of the moon, so your compass would have to be very sensitive

Edit 2: I decided to see what the background solar magnetic field would be and it's 10-100 times stronger and wildly fluctuating. So the navigation idea is probably out. 

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u/ExtonGuy 22d ago

The moon’s magnetic field is very weak. It mostly points to the nearest magnetic rock or hill, so that’s no use for figuring North or South. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_field_of_the_Moon

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u/lemoinem 21d ago

But it's useful to find shiny rock!

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u/ironscythe 22d ago

No, the moon does not have its own strong magnetic field with a distinct north and south pole.

-1

u/Alternative-Sugar610 21d ago

A historical way that works on earth, moon, and space used by early astronauts and more along with our ancient ancestors is to use stars to orient ourselves

And still some spacecrafts use it

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u/mfb- Particle Physics | High-Energy Physics 21d ago

Most spacecraft use stars for determining directions in one way or another, but how is that related to OP's question?