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Re: Mecca
From: Tony S
Date: 2000 Aug 27, 00:59 EDT
From: Tony S
Date: 2000 Aug 27, 00:59 EDT
Lu Abel wrote: > > I'm not sure what is meant by the "geodesic," but as a curiosity question, > does anyone know if when a Muslim determines the direction to Mecca is it > the rhumb line or the great circle?? I asked while on a tour of a mosque, > but the guide didn't understand the difference. > > TIA > > Lu Abel Webster's Collegiate: 2. n : the shortest line between two points that lies in a given surface. I take this to mean the GC distance and direction. Would you? A docent would be puzzled, I think. :) Tony > > At 09:06 AM 8/25/00 -0300, you wrote: > >According to "The Correct Qibla" by S. Kamil Abdali (on the controversy as to > >whether Muslims should pray in the direction of the geodesic connecting them > >to Mecca or along a line through the Earth), the coordinates of Ka'ba > >(the sacred mosque in Mecca) are 21-25-24 (degrees, minutes, seconds) N and > >39-49-24 E. > >-- Richard Langley > > > >On Thu, 24 Aug 2000, Richard Langley wrote: > > > >>I have the coordinates in my office at the university and will send them > along > >>tomorrow. > >>-- Richard Langley > >> Professor of Geodesy and Precision Navigation > >> > >>On Fri, 25 Aug 2000, R.H. van Gent wrote: > >> > >>>Dear all, > >>> > >>>I hope that my query will not be too much out of place on this list but > >>>I would be most grateful if anyone could help me on this matter. > >>> > >>>As most list members will know the Kabah of Mecca (Saudi Arabia) > >>>represents the geographical centre of the Islamic world and its exact > >>>position with respect to Greenwich would seem to be exactly known. I > >>>know that up to fairly recent times this was not so due to the fact that > >>>the city of Mecca was (and still is) forbidden territory for > >>>non-Muslims, making it virtually impossible for European surveyors to > >>>determine its position with any exactitude. > >>> > >>>Modern encyclopaedias, atlases and internet gazetteers all give its > >>>position as 21 degree 27 minutes North and 39 degree 49 minutes East of > >>>Greenwich but do not specify for which part of Mecca this refers to. Can > >>>anyone on this list quote more precise figures for the geographical > >>>position of the Kabah of Mecca, preferably with a reference, or direct > >>>me to sources that can provide me with this information? > >>> > >>>Thanks in advance. > >>> > >>>======================================================== > >>>* Robert H. van Gent * Tel/Fax: 00-31-30-2720269 * > >>>* Zaagmolenkade 50 * * > >>>* 3515 AE Utrecht * E-mail: r.h.vangent@XXX.XXX * > >>>* The Netherlands * * > >>>******************************************************** > >>>* Home page: http://www.phys.uu.nl/~vgent/homepage.htm * > >>>======================================================== > >>> > >> > >> > >>========================================================================== > ===== > >> Richard B. Langley E-mail: lang@XXX.XXX > >> Geodetic Research Laboratory Web: http://www.unb.ca/GGE/ > >> Dept. of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering Phone: +1 506 453-5142 > >> University of New Brunswick Fax: +1 506 453-4943 > >> Fredericton, N.B., Canada E3B 5A3 > >> Fredericton? Where's that? See: http://www.city.fredericton.nb.ca/ > >>========================================================================== > ===== > >> > > > > > >=========================================================================== > ==== > > Richard B. Langley E-mail: lang@XXX.XXX > > Geodetic Research Laboratory Web: http://www.unb.ca/GGE/ > > Dept. of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering Phone: +1 506 453-5142 > > University of New Brunswick Fax: +1 506 453-4943 > > Fredericton, N.B., Canada E3B 5A3 > > Fredericton? Where's that? See: http://www.city.fredericton.nb.ca/ > >=========================================================================== > ==== > >