If you were the boss of a group of intergalactic explorers, what would you use as the "North" on the space compasses?
If you were the boss of a group of intergalactic explorers, what would you use as the "North" on the space compasses?
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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Might be a bit simple but why not the "North Star" (Polaris)? Navigation could work via analysis of stars positions relative to eachother/positions of constellations relative to the ship. You could justify it in-universe as being a nod to how early mariners used these same stars to navigate Earth's oceans.