pólus

Pólus is a term that denotes a pole or axis and is used across disciplines to signify a reference point at an end of a diameter or a feature with a contrasting property. The word derives from Latin polus, itself from the Greek polos, and has been adopted in science, geography, astronomy, and philosophy.

In geography, the geographic poles are the points where the Earth's axis intersects its surface: the North Pole and the South Pole. The North Pole lies in the Arctic Ocean, near 90°N, while the South Pole sits on the Antarctic continent at 90°S. These poles serve as reference points in navigation and Earth observation, and they define polar climate zones and ice dynamics. Unlike the South Pole, which rests on solid land beneath a thick ice sheet, the North Pole sits atop sea ice that drifts with ocean conditions.

In magnetism, the magnetic poles are the regions where the magnetic field lines emerge or converge: magnetic north and magnetic south. They are distinct from geographic poles and are in constant motion due to changes in the Earth's outer core. A compass points to the local magnetic north, which itself migrates over time.

In astronomy, celestial poles refer to the projections of the Earth's axis onto the celestial sphere. The north celestial pole is currently near the star Polaris, while the south celestial pole marks the opposite point in the sky. These poles define the sky’s apparent rotation and shift slowly due to axial precession.

In philosophy, Polus is a character in Plato’s dialogue Gorgias, associated with arguments about power, rhetoric, and justice. The term’s usage as a label for opposing positions or reference points appears in several languages and disciplines.