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Re: Lunars by Moon declination. was: [NAV-L] Thomas Jefferson and Lunar Obs.
From: Fred Hebard
Date: 2005 Mar 26, 13:39 -0500
From: Fred Hebard
Date: 2005 Mar 26, 13:39 -0500
On Mar 26, 2005, at 12:33 PM, George Huxtable wrote: [Transcript of letter from William Dunbar to Thomas Jefferson > with the equinoctical circle, that there are two portions of each > lunation when > the moon's change of declination is very rapid, exceeding 6 in 24 > hours, that > is 5" of a degree in one minute of time; .... > The matter in question is simply this; whether Dunbar referred to the > Moon's change of declination as 5" of a degree in one minute of time, > or > 15". Or whatever. It's unfortunate that Frank Reed incites such passion in so many. Perhaps people would be more responsive to his postings were he less feisty and more courtly. But, to answer the question at issue: The letters between Jefferson and Dunbar are shown as facsimiles on the Library of Congress website. Transcripts also are provided. Frank pasted the transcript into his post. Pasted was an excerpt from Dunbar's letter of October 8, 1805 to Jefferson. The question at issue is whether the transcription is correct. The facsimile in question is at the following ridiculously long address: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage? collId=mtj1&fileName=mtj1page034.db&recNum=778&itemLink=/ammem/mtjhtml/ mtjser1.html&linkText=7&tempFile=./temp/ ~ammem_XdPN&filecode=mcc,gottscho,detr,nfor,wpa,aap,cwar,bbpix,cowellbib ,calbkbib,consrvbib,bdsbib,dag,fsaall,gmd,pan,vv,presp,varstg,suffrg,naw bib,horyd,wtc,toddbib,mgw,ncr,ngp,musdibib,hlaw,papr,lhbumbib,rbpebib,lb coll,alad,hh,aaodyssey,magbell,bbcards,dcm,raelbib,runyon,dukmtj&next_fi lecode=mtj&prev_filecode=mtj&UA=mdb=mcc,gottscho,detr,nfor,wpa,aap,cwar, bbpix,cowellbib,calbkbib,consrvbib,bdsbib,dag,fsaall,gmd,pan,vv,presp,va rstg,suffrg,nawbib,horyd,wtc,toddbib,mgw,ncr,ngp,musdibib,hlaw,papr,lhbu mbib,rbpebib,lbcoll,alad,hh,aaodyssey,magbell,bbcards,dcm,raelbib,runyon ,dukesm,lomaxbib,mtj,gottlieb,aep,qlt,coolbib,fpnas,aasm,scsm,denn,relpe t,amss,aaeo,mffbib,afc911bib,mjm,hawp,omhbib,rbaapcbib,mal,ncpsbib,ncpm, lhbprbib,ftvbib,afcreed,aipn,cwband,flwpabib,wpapos,cmns,psbib,pin,copla ndbib,cola,tccc,curt,mharendt,lhbcbbib,upboverbib,mussm,cic,afcpearl,awh ,awhbib,sgp,wright,lhbtnbib,eaa,haybib,mesnbib,fine,cwnyhs,svybib,mmorse ,afcwwgbib,mymhiwebib,uncall,mfd,afcwip,mtaft,manz,llstbib,fawbib,berl,f muever,cdn,afcesnbib,hurstonbib,mreynoldsbib,spaldingbib,sgproto&itemnum =5&ndocs=9 Indeed, Dunbar does write in the facsimile that declination would change at 5" of arc in one minute of time rather than the correct 15" of arc in one minute of time. Thus the transcription is correct. However, Dunbar did use the degree symbol after the 6 when he wrote, "exceeding 6 in 24 hours...." Thus the transcription missed there, perhaps for lack of the appropriate symbol in the ascii used for the transcription.