NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Lunars
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2007 Sep 26, 01:11 -0400
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2007 Sep 26, 01:11 -0400
I wrote: "Consider: how would those folks who recommended the prize have known back in 1714 that there would be a device invented, twenty years in their future, that could reliably measure angles to about 1' of arc?" And Fred, you replied: "Newton would have made his secret presentation to the Royal about then. He worked on the moon orbit problem." Fred, I can't figure out what you're talking about here. The fact that Newton worked on the 'moon orbit problem' has nothing to do with the ability to measure angles to some specified accuracy. As for his "secret presentation" perhaps you should elaborate on what you think this implies. And I asked: "Who in the world suggested that 1' of arc was the limit of accuracy for such measurements?" You replied with one word, "Newton". I'm sorry, but I think you've got two separate lines of reasoning confused here. Newton was certainly aware that a certain level of accuracy in lunar distance observations and predicted lunar distances would be required to achieve a given level of accurcay in longitude determination. But that's a trivial matter that anyone with passing skill in astronomy could work out. He certainly didn't offer any predictions on the ultimate limits of angular measurements. Nor did his suggestions "set up" the lunar distance method as the intended winner of the Longitude Prize. -FER --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---