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Robert,

> Going back to Meeus and his method,
> if a computer is doing the calculations then does it matter that the
> equation is awkward to us. The computer doesn?t care and as long as the
> algorithm is well designed then complexity is of little importance.

Sure. But to WRITE this program, you have to input pages
and pages of terrible formulas from Meeus to your computer.

> I am just starting to use my palm pilot for reduction and it is convenient.

I have to write my programs myself because I do many unusual
tasks which standard software probably does not permit.
(Like Lunar distances, star distances etc.)

> I think my days of paper and pencil are nearing an end along with NavL.

I always use paper and pencil (and a simple calculator)
when I am on a boat. Thanks God, most boats are still not equipped
with Internet connection:-)
and I do not want to depend on a laptop on a boat:-)

But with my balcony experiments I do sometimes very many
observations and reducing each of them by hand would be
too time consuming. So for these experiments I use
both the web and my laptop.

Alex.

   

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