THE SUN WAS SETTING — THE COMPASS COULDN’T AGREE The Sun was visibly setting in the western sky over Midland, Texas — yet the compass would not confirm west. Instead of settling, the needle bounced and shifted, failing to lock onto a consistent direction at the exact moment orientation should have been clear. The Sun’s position was obvious. The compass could not agree. This wasn’t caused by movement. It wasn’t a brief twitch. The direction never stabilized. Compass behavior can be influenced by