NavList:

Alex,

Aahh ! I would not have dared questioning the reliability of the Lunar Distances themselves as they have been certainly so carefully - and so dearly - checked, rechecked (maybe up to a zillion times) and printed ... and also because they have acquired a strong reputation as being consistently (much) better than 1 arc minute.

Well anyway, that's a good idea of yours and well worth trying, so let's do it !

From Ulietea Harbour (S 16°45'33" W151°29'48") the Moon Upper Limb Height was 43°29'0 at time UT = 17h02m55s0 and the Moon was in Azimuth 312°9. I am computing this way with the Moon first since most likely the Moon Height is the most reliable one for refraction correction and also for the reasons given in my previous post on this subject.

At that same time, the Sun Azimuth was 080°0 ans its Lower Limb Height was 12°12'3, still a quarter of a degree off its quoted value of 12°38'4 . However we do achieve narrowing our Sun "initial error" by 2/3. Would that be sufficient, given the fact that the Sun horizon was land/hill-blocked ?

Now, from Position S 16°45'33" W151°29'48" at time UT=17h02m55s5, Cook should have observed a sextant distance of 105°48'008 (same independent confirmation by Frank's Online Computer which rates my results as earlier : [QUOTE] Error in Lunar 0.1' , Error in Longitude 2'0 [UNQUOTE]) .

Cook did observe a reported Sextant Distance of 105°47'04" while he should have observed an actual Distance of 105°48'00"5 .

Almost one arc minute in the Sextant Distance as a result of 10 observations, ... by Cook ??? Is this an (un)acceptable hypothesis ? Printing blunder ? ... just on this specific Lunar, unfortunately one of the very few for which we nowadays can ascertain the Observer's position with a (super) great Confidence level ????

Still seems an open question, no ?

What do you all think (including Paul, Dave, Frank ...) ?

Best Regards

Kermit

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