Weather vane

A CGI representation of an antique weather station. Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics

A weather vane, also called a wind vane, is a movable device attached to an elevated object such as a roof for showing the direction of the wind. Very often these are in the shape of cockerels and are called weather cocks. The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from Arrows are also popular, but a multitude of designs have been used.

1 Operation
2 History
3 Slang term
4 Gallery
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links

Operation

The weather vane must be balanced so that half its weight is on either side of its axis, but also designed so that the momenta about the axis of the areas exposed to the wind are unequal. This unequal momentum causes the vane to rotate to minimize the force of the wind on its surface. The design of the vane causes the end with the smallest momentum to turn into the wind, pointing to the source of the wind. Because winds are named from their source direction, the pointer enables the viewer to name the wind easily. Most simple weather vanes have directional markers beneath the pointer, aligned with the geographic directions. The pointer must be able to move freely on its axis.

An installation by Paul Joffe, using a "jin-pole" of a weather vane atop the 200 foot steeple of celebration church in Kingston, New York. {nofootnotes|article}}A Jin-pole is a rigid pole with a pulley on the end used for the purpose of lifting Kingston is a City in Ulster County, New York, United States.

Weather cocks, especially those with fanciful shapes, do not always show the real direction of a very gentle wind. This is because the figures do not achieve the design balance required in a weather vane: an unequal surface area but balanced in weight.

To obtain an accurate reading, the weather vane must be located well above the ground and away from buildings, trees, and other objects which interfere with the true wind direction. Changing wind direction can be meaningful when coordinated with other apparent sky conditions, enabling the user to make simple short range forecasts.

History

Early weather vanes had very ornamental pointers, but modern wind vanes are usually simple arrows that dispense with the directionals because the instrument is connected to a remote reading station. Also modern wind vanes are mounted with an anemometer, a device that measures wind speed. An anemometer is a device for measuring wind speed and is one instrument used in a Weather station. Co-locating both instruments allows them to use the same axis (a vertical rod). Weather stations of variable quality may be purchased, and these include wind vanes along with several other instruments with dials that can be read comfortably inside a home or office. A weather station is a facility with instruments and equipment to make observations of atmospheric conditions in order to provide information to make weather forecasts Combining a propeller for wind speed and a tail for wind direction on the same axis is an aerovane, for accurate, precise measurements from a single instrument. An anemometer is a device for measuring wind speed and is one instrument used in a Weather station.

Another wind direction device is the windsock used at airports to show wind direction and strength. A windsock or wind cone is a conical Textile Tube designed to indicate Wind direction and relative Wind speed. The wind fills the sock and makes it blow away from the prevailing wind. Strong winds make the sock point almost horizontally, while light airs allow the sock to hang limply. Because of its size, the windsock can often be seen from the air as well as the ground. Even the most technologically-advanced airports still use windsocks.

According to the Guinness World Records, the world's largest weather vane is located in Jerez, Spain. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. A challenger for the title of world's largest weather vane is located in Whitehorse, Yukon. Whitehorse (ˈʍaɪthɔrs ( 2006 population 20461 CA population 22898 (formerly White Horse until 1957 - 03-21) is the The weather vane is a retired Douglas DC-3 atop a swiveling support. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Located beside Whitehorse International Airport, the weather vane is used mainly by pilots to determine wind direction. Whitehorse International Airport is located in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. The weather vane only requires a 5 km/hour wind to rotate. ^[1]

In 1840 Grand National one of the competitors in the Grand National Steeplechase was named Weathercock. The 1840 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the second official annual running of a Steeplechase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase handicap horse The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt horse race in the world The steeplechase is a form of Horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Ireland) and derives The horse was a totally unconsidered outsider who failed to complete the first of two circuits of the course.

Slang term

The term "weathervane" is also a slang word for a politician who has frequent changes of opinion. The National Assembly of Quebec has banned use of this slang term as a slur after its use by members of the legislature. The National Assembly of Quebec (Assemblée nationale du Québec is the name for the legislative body of the province of Quebec, Canada. ^[2]^[3]

The word 'vane' comes from the Anglo-Saxon word 'fane' meaning 'flag'. Originally the people used flags to show the direction of the wind.