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On Apr 21, 2005, at 9:42 PM, Herbert Prinz wrote:

> It is true, since Polaris is always nearly on the meridian, a shot of
> Polaris can give a very good latitude, if (!) one has local time; but
> this feature is inherent in the geometry of the observation, not in the
> method of reduction. Therefore, there is no need to make head stands
> for
> a special method of reduction. Besides, since Sumner's great discovery,
> we have come to understand that latitude is just one specially named
> line of position.
>

Part of the attraction of Polaris may have been that it is a relatively
easy calculation that a tired mariner could rely on more strongly than
other lines of position.  Also, the Hs only differs from the colatitude
by less than a degree, so there is an inherent check to the
calculation.  And then there's tradition....

Fred

   

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