A weather vane will point in the direction from which the wind is blowing. It is placed in the highest, most unobstructed location on a structure. It only works properly if the wind flows freely and is not blocked by trees or other buildings. For those who did not have our modern instruments for measuring wind direction and speed, weathervanes had great significance.
The first weather vane was built in Ancient Greece by Andronicus, A Greek astronomer. It was built out of bronze in honor of Triton, a Greek god. A wand in his hand indicated wind direction from the top of a tower in Athens. Its head and torso were that of a man and it had the tail of a fish.
In the ninth century, rooster weather vanes were found on the top many church steeples. The Smithsonian magazine states that Pope Nicholas 1 had decreed that every church needed one to remind believers of a biblical prophecy of Christ about Peter, the disciple who would betray him after his crucifixion. Today, the rooster shape remains popular, not only for its shape that is well suited to catching wind but due to the symbolism attached to it of welcoming the day and the light after the darkness.
The weather vane is shaped aerodynamically. The one end of its pointer is thicker than the other and has a larger surface area. This enables it to catch wind and turn the pointer. The large end points to where wind is going and the small end to where it is coming from.
If the weather vane has the correct shape and balance, it is able to move freely. If not, it may not move at all or shift when it moves. Weight has to be equally distributed on either side of the axis to enable it to move freely. In designing modern weather vanes, more consideration may be given to aesthetic appeal than the ability to determine wind direction as this is no longer considered necessary.
On the weather vane, just underneath the pointer, are fixed directional markers. They point towards the north, south, east and west. If the arrow is pointing toward the marker for north on the weather vane, wind is blowing from the north to the south.
By looking at wind patterns and changing directions, observers may be able to make simple predictions about the weather. Knowing that the west is wet and the east is dry, they know what to expect when a wind comes from either of those areas.
Knowing about where the wind was coming from was a great help to farmers in the past. They would examine the signs daily and put together their knowledge about the local area and climate to make their predictions. This could help them plant their crops in the right places and protect them. Today, we no longer need to determine weather by using weather vanes. We have plenty of modern instruments that are far superior. However, the appeal of this instrument remains and many people still enjoy placing them on their homes.
The first weather vane was built in Ancient Greece by Andronicus, A Greek astronomer. It was built out of bronze in honor of Triton, a Greek god. A wand in his hand indicated wind direction from the top of a tower in Athens. Its head and torso were that of a man and it had the tail of a fish.
In the ninth century, rooster weather vanes were found on the top many church steeples. The Smithsonian magazine states that Pope Nicholas 1 had decreed that every church needed one to remind believers of a biblical prophecy of Christ about Peter, the disciple who would betray him after his crucifixion. Today, the rooster shape remains popular, not only for its shape that is well suited to catching wind but due to the symbolism attached to it of welcoming the day and the light after the darkness.
The weather vane is shaped aerodynamically. The one end of its pointer is thicker than the other and has a larger surface area. This enables it to catch wind and turn the pointer. The large end points to where wind is going and the small end to where it is coming from.
If the weather vane has the correct shape and balance, it is able to move freely. If not, it may not move at all or shift when it moves. Weight has to be equally distributed on either side of the axis to enable it to move freely. In designing modern weather vanes, more consideration may be given to aesthetic appeal than the ability to determine wind direction as this is no longer considered necessary.
On the weather vane, just underneath the pointer, are fixed directional markers. They point towards the north, south, east and west. If the arrow is pointing toward the marker for north on the weather vane, wind is blowing from the north to the south.
By looking at wind patterns and changing directions, observers may be able to make simple predictions about the weather. Knowing that the west is wet and the east is dry, they know what to expect when a wind comes from either of those areas.
Knowing about where the wind was coming from was a great help to farmers in the past. They would examine the signs daily and put together their knowledge about the local area and climate to make their predictions. This could help them plant their crops in the right places and protect them. Today, we no longer need to determine weather by using weather vanes. We have plenty of modern instruments that are far superior. However, the appeal of this instrument remains and many people still enjoy placing them on their homes.
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