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Nice site Frank.

On Sep 21, 2004, at 12:25 AM, Frank Reed wrote:

> Shall I add Maskelyne's paper from the Philosophical Transactions of
> 1764 describing how to clear a lunar to my web site?  It's interesting
> and even without the math it's entertaining. Maskelyne's got an
> almanac on his mind and writes:
>    "the last rule for computing the distance of the Moon from a star,
> though only an approximation, being so very exact, seems particularly
> adapted for the construction of a nautical ephemeris, containing the
> distances of the Moon from the Sun and proper fixed stars ready
> calculated for the purpose of finding the longitude from the Moon by
> observations at sea; an assistance which, in an age abounding with so
> many able computers, mariners need not doubt they will be provided
> with, as soon as they manifest a proper disposition to make use of
> it".
>
>  An age abounding with so many able computers... I love that line.
> Speaking of those able computers, there's a very fine article by Mary
> Croarken on the early history of the Nautical Almanac focusing on the
> "computers" --the people scattered across Britain whose job it was to
> perform by hand the calculations that were published in the almanac.
> Would you believe they had cheaters? This article is online at
> http://www.jmr.nmm.ac.uk/ . When you get to this web site, enter
> "longitude" in the search box. The paper is entitled "Providing
> Longitude for All". The direct URL was too long to include.
>
>  Frank R
>  [ ] Mystic, Connecticut
>  [X] Chicago, Illinois

   

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