The Compass Rose

by Elyse Cole

The compass rose has been used on nautical charts since the 14th century. The name of the figure was derived from its shape: 32 directional points, illustrated in such a way as to resemble the petals of a flower. The directional points on the compass rose indicated the directions of the 32 winds, which are sections of the four directions:

8 major winds: north (N), northeast (NE), east (E), southeast (SE), south (S), southwest (SW), west (W), and northwest (NW)
8 half winds: NNE, ENE, ESE, SSE, SSW, WSW, WNW, and NNW; and
16 quarter winds: north by east, northeast by north, northeast by east, east by north, east by south, southeast by east, southeast by south, south by east, south by west, southwest by south, southwest by west, west by south, west by north, northwest by west, northwest by north, and north by west.

The color scheme of the compass rose was influenced by the need for graphic clarity. Navigators needed to be able to read the compass quickly, even at night by the light of a flickering lamp. As a result, the eight major winds, or principal directions, are usually depicted in black to make them stand out from the other directions, so they are easier to read. Half-winds are smaller, and are shown in a lighter color, usually blue or green. The smallest points -- the quarter winds -- are often colored red.