What would happen if you brought a compass into space?

Question

Would it just dance around or point to something specific, like the sun or something? I've always wanted to know since i was a kid...

Answer 1

If you're close enough to the earth, it will point towards the earth.  If you're not near any substantial quantity of mass, the needle will stay wherever you point it.

Answer 2

In low Earth orbit, the Earth's magnetic field is still substantial.  The compass would point towards the Earth's magnetic north pole.

In deep space, far from any large object, the compass needle would drift around.