East (direction)
East is one of the four cardinal directions, opposite west. It is conventionally associated with the horizon where the Sun appears to rise.
Cardinal direction: A principal direction used to orient positions and movement, commonly north, east, south, and west. East is one of the four principal directions in this system.
Apparent diurnal motion: The apparent daily movement of celestial objects across the sky, caused mainly by Earth’s rotation. It carries the Sun through the eastern horizon in its daily apparent path.
Magnetic compass: A navigational instrument whose magnetized needle aligns approximately with Earth’s magnetic field. Its marked directions let users identify east relative to magnetic north.
West (direction): A cardinal direction opposite east, conventionally associated with the horizon where the Sun appears to set. West is east’s opposite direction and the counterpart in the Sun’s apparent daily path.
Compass rose: A figure on a map or compass showing directions, often including cardinal and intermediate points. It marks east as a fixed direction relative to the map’s orientation.
Sunrise: The daily event when the Sun’s upper edge first appears above the horizon. Its name reflects the Sun’s usual emergence on the eastern side of the horizon.
Map orientation: The arrangement of directions on a map relative to the ground, commonly with north at the top. With north-up maps, east lies to the right.
North (direction): A cardinal direction conventionally aligned with the North Pole and opposite south. North is the usual reference direction from which east is measured clockwise.
Azimuth: An angular measurement of direction around a horizon, usually measured clockwise from a reference direction. East can be specified as an azimuth, with the reference convention stated.
Equinox: An instant when the Sun crosses Earth’s celestial equator, making day and night nearly equal in length. Near an equinox, the Sun rises close to due east at most inhabited latitudes.