Welcome to the NavList Message Boards.

NavList:

A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding

Compose Your Message

Message:αβγ
Message:abc
Add Images & Files
    Name or NavList Code:
    Email:
       
    Reply
    Re: The Nautical Mile?
    From: Lars Bergman
    Date: 2020 Oct 31, 08:40 -0700

    Mike,

    Do not trust the definition in The Oxford Companion, it is not correct. The length of one minute of latitude varies from around 1843 m at the equator to around 1862 m at the poles. And this is, as you have correctly observed, due to different radii of curvature at different latitudes. At 45° latitude the length is around 1852 m. In earlier times these small differences didn't have any practical impact on navigation, but in 1929 (if my memory is correct) some kind of conference decided that "The International Nautical Mile" should be 1852 m, exactly. But it took many decades before it become used all over the globe. The UK, for example, used 6080 feet (≈ 1853.2 m) at least until the nineteen sixties. 

    Lars

       
    Reply
    Browse Files

    Drop Files

    NavList

    What is NavList?

    Get a NavList ID Code

    Name:
    (please, no nicknames or handles)
    Email:
    Do you want to receive all group messages by email?
    Yes No

    A NavList ID Code guarantees your identity in NavList posts and allows faster posting of messages.

    Retrieve a NavList ID Code

    Enter the email address associated with your NavList messages. Your NavList code will be emailed to you immediately.
    Email:

    Email Settings

    NavList ID Code:

    Custom Index

    Subject:
    Author:
    Start date: (yyyymm dd)
    End date: (yyyymm dd)

    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site