A compass needle always points north because it is a small magnet that aligns itself with the Earth's magnetic field. The Earth acts like a giant magnet with a magnetic field, and the compass needle, being a magnet itself, is attracted so that its north pole points toward the Earth's magnetic south pole, which is near the geographic North Pole. This causes the compass needle's north end to align toward what we commonly call "north." However, it is important to note that the magnetic north pole is not exactly the same as the true geographic North Pole, and it can shift over time due to changes in the Earth's magnetic field.