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On Wed, 5 Mar 2003 13:45:30 +0000, Charles Tait wrote:

>Does anyone really know how the Vikings were able to navigate so accurately?
>--
Multiple answers.

1. We don't know how accurately they were able to  navigate. But,
whenever Polaris is visible, latitude sailing will get you home. All
they would need to find Iceland, say, would be a Polaris altitude. The
same for the Faroes, Shetlands, etc.

2. Morison believes they may have used mirages to sail toward islands
way beyond the horizon. Apparently these are both common and stable at
higher latitudes. I have seen mirages on the Maine coast many times,
but usually only a few feet higher than the reality.

But, I remember in Cape Cod Bay at dawn seeing the City of Boston high
in the air. It stayed in place for at least two hours. I guess that is
the kind of mirage Morison was talking about.

Rodney Myrvaagnes       NYC                                                 J36 Gjo/a


"Wanting to meet a writer because you like his work is like wanting to meet a 
duck because you like pate."
Margaret Atwood

   

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