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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Sextant accuracy (was : Plumb-line horizon vs. geocentric horizon)
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2005 Feb 21, 10:55 -0500
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2005 Feb 21, 10:55 -0500
Frank, On Sun, 20 Feb 2005, Frank Reed wrote: > "I suspect that the "imaging resolution" limit > does not take into account a possible mechanism involving eye's > motion. Or some other mechanisms one can imagine." > I don't see how that would make any real difference. The imaging resolution > is limited in an absolute way by diffraction and in a practical way by the > array of the cells on the retina. Could you explain (or give a reference) how exactly the imaging resolution is limited by diffraction and cell density in an "absolute way"? I don't quite understand this. > I suspect that some of the old reports of "super human" resolution may arise > simply from a confusion over what qualfies as "imaging resolution". Oh, sure. The example you give has to do with eye sensitivity, not resolution, and some people may indeed confuse the two things. But some well documented historical examples are of people who were able to distinguish the phases of Venus. What resolution you need for this, how do you think? Alex.
