A weather vane only works if wind can flow freely and is not obstructed. This is why these instruments are usually placed at the highest point on a structure like a church or a house. They are used to show the direction from which wind blows. In the past, farmers relied on weathervanes whereas today technological advances have given us instruments to accurately measure wind speed and direction.
The earliest weather vane in recorded history was built by the astronomer, Andronicus. It honored the Greek God Triton and was a combination of man and fish. In ancient Greece and Rome, weather vanes depicting the gods adorned the dwellings of wealthy landowners.
It was in the ninth century that it was decreed that all churches must have a rooster weather vane on their domes or steeples. Roosters were used for hundreds of years after that on churches in Britain and America and they are still popular today. Perhaps this is because of their significance as a symbol of light conquering darkness and bringing in the dawn, or it could be simply because the tail of a rooster catches wind well. The force on the tail is greater than on the head and so the head swings to face the wind.
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.
When people see wind direction, they start noticing patterns and when they put this together with knowledge about the local climate, they start being able to make simple forecasts. They may notice, for example, that wind from a certain direction usually brings rain or that wind from another direction may mean that a storm is coming.
Determining wind direction and what this meant was a daily consideration for farmers. Their first-hand observations, experience and local knowledge helped them in this exercise. Today, we do not need weather vanes for this reason but they continue to retain their appeal. A wide variety are available today in many different designs. Those that are designed correctly, still work in exactly the same way as they have through the centuries whilst others are valued for their aesthetic appeal.
The earliest weather vane in recorded history was built by the astronomer, Andronicus. It honored the Greek God Triton and was a combination of man and fish. In ancient Greece and Rome, weather vanes depicting the gods adorned the dwellings of wealthy landowners.
It was in the ninth century that it was decreed that all churches must have a rooster weather vane on their domes or steeples. Roosters were used for hundreds of years after that on churches in Britain and America and they are still popular today. Perhaps this is because of their significance as a symbol of light conquering darkness and bringing in the dawn, or it could be simply because the tail of a rooster catches wind well. The force on the tail is greater than on the head and so the head swings to face the wind.
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.
When people see wind direction, they start noticing patterns and when they put this together with knowledge about the local climate, they start being able to make simple forecasts. They may notice, for example, that wind from a certain direction usually brings rain or that wind from another direction may mean that a storm is coming.
Determining wind direction and what this meant was a daily consideration for farmers. Their first-hand observations, experience and local knowledge helped them in this exercise. Today, we do not need weather vanes for this reason but they continue to retain their appeal. A wide variety are available today in many different designs. Those that are designed correctly, still work in exactly the same way as they have through the centuries whilst others are valued for their aesthetic appeal.
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