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I didn't mean to contend he had invented the lunar.  My understanding was that
he invented the concept of taking a lunar without having to wait for this
occulting thing.

Moore's nautical almanac would have been necessary to take a lunar even if it
were only accomplished during an occulting situation.

I also gathered that Bowditch identified over 8000 errors in Moore's tables.

Please allow me to restate my question.  I really don't understand this
occulting business.
Would you please explain it.

Additionally, I have followed most of the lunar distance threads avidly. It
has all been discussed at a level beyond my understanding.

I keep hoping that someone will start over with truly basic description of the
process.  I'm missing it badly.


On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 19:34:09 -0500 Fred Hebard  wrote:

> The Nautical Almanac was first published in the
> 1760s, about 40 years
> prior to Bowditch's time.  It was published
> primarily to facilitate
> the computation of time by observation of
> distances between the moon
> and other celestial objects, the classical
> lunar so much discussed on
> this list.  And the sextant was invented
> primarily to perform the
> measurements of those lunar distances to the
> precision required.  A
> sextant is not needed to observe occultations.
> So Bowditch did not
> invent the lunar.  But, according to the book
> on navigation that
> bears his name, he did markedly simplify the
> calculations to where
> they could be performed by ordinary seamen
> rather than only by those
> with extremely high proficiency in mathematics.
>  Lunars for the rest
> of us.
>
> I don't know what a three-star lunar is, but
> others on this list may
> be able to enlighten us.
>
> Fred
> --
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Frederick V. Hebard, PhD
> Email: mailto:Fred@acf.org
> Staff Pathologist, Meadowview Research Farms
> Web: http://www.acf.org
> American Chestnut Foundation
> Phone: (276) 944-4631
> 14005 Glenbrook Ave.
> Fax: (276) 944-0934
> Meadowview, VA 24361
>



Dave Weilacher
.US Coast Guard licensed captain
.    #889968
.ASA Instructor Evaluator & Celestial
.    Nav. Instructor #990800
.IBM AS400 RPG contract programmer

   

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