NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Ted Gerrard
Date: 2007 Nov 14, 20:39 -0000
Newton's octant
I asked Mike off list what made him convinced that the Phil Trans engraving represented Newton's drawing of the instrument.
He thought it well worth mentioning on NavL so here was his reply.
_It is the only source I've seen and the article claims it is a "true
copy" of Newton's note. If you know of another independent, accessible
source, I'd like to know it._
As one can see this was no answer at all so perhaps he misunderstood my question.
So I'll try again.
The engraving accompanying the "true copy" of Newton's note does not tally with the text in several respects - no diagonal scale for example.
So what Mike, made you think this engraving was a copy of Newton's own drawing?
The full text of the 1742 RS article, including the engraving, can be obtained from the Newton Project archives at Sussex University. Having accessed the Newton Project site, type _ instruments _ into the search box and the full text can be downloaded.
Different diagrams of Newton's only invention are included a Wikipedia article on Octants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wki/Octant_%28instrument%29
Several of Mike's replies to George's note give the impression he doesn't believe a word of it. No problem with that, but when George has just cited RS references to prove Halley used Newton's instrument in 1698 what is the point of replying by stating
_I can't find much to support the claim that Halley used Newton's(instrument)._
Ted Gerrard
www.samosbooks.org
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com
To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---