NavList:

   

Reply

On 18 Apr 2007 at 12:06, Alexandre E Eremenko wrote:

> I think I have those almanacs
> (downloaded when this collection was still free).
> I just wanted to make sure that he
> used exactly the same published Nautical almanacs
> (rather than some more precise data his
> astronomers-associates could possibly provide).
> One thing which makes me doubt is this:
> Cook's voyages lasted more than one year.
> The ordinary almanac is published just one year ahead,
> even now. Then how did Cook obtain the data for
> more than one year?

From the paper "Tabulating the Heavens: Computing the Nautical Almanac in
18th Century England" by M. Croarken, IEEE Annals of the History of
Computing 25(3): 48-61. 2003:

"...on his first voyage of exploration (1768-1771), Captain Cook was able
to take with him only the Nautical Almanacs for 1768 and 1769, but on his
second voyage (1772-1775), he was able to take with him the editions for
1772, 1773, 1774, and the few sheets from 1775 that were ready. By 1783,
the Nautical Almanac was regularly being published four or five years
ahead, and by 1793 the work was being completed up to 10 years ahead,
although publication was never more than five years ahead."

Ken Muldrew.

--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com
To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

   

Reply