Weather Vane
The weather vane has come a long way!
Nobody knows how long the weather vane has been around for, but it has certainly outlasted other instruments of its time! There are records that the weathervane was used in ancient Egypt, but no solid proof can back this up. The earliest and most important record widely known is that the Pope in the 9th Century (A.D.) declared that all churches should have a rooster weathervane in remembrance of Peter the Apostle. Nowadays the weathervane is still in every day use, despite advances in modern technology.
What exactly does the weather vane do?
The weathervane is quite a simple instrument which is used to determine the source direction of a blowing wind. This is because all winds are named from their source, and thus the weathervane allows any user or passer by to name the blowing wind easily. Certain winds indicate changes in the weather, so it can be used to predict rain, clouds or sunshine too.
How does the weathervane work?
The weathervane consists of two parts: the carefully balanced pointer which spins, and the stationary rod that has the compass points attached to it. The rod is attached to the pinnacle of a building, with the compass points in the right directions, and the pointer being able to move freely. The pointer is designed to spin into the source direction of a wind through careful balancing, so you just match up the pointer with the compass points below it.
