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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Celestial observations v. Coast Survey Methods
From: Herbert Prinz
Date: 2002 Jan 18, 7:40 PM
From: Herbert Prinz
Date: 2002 Jan 18, 7:40 PM
Thanks for the pointer to this highly interesting web site. Concerning the use of the telegraph, make no mistake: The determination of longitude was still based on the exact same old celestial methods, mostly timing transits. Just the technology of time signals (nowadays we would say: time transfer) has changed. First there were eclispses, then lunar distances, then the telegraph, then radio, and finally the GPS. Herbert Prinz (from 1368950/-4603950/4182550 ECEF) (datum-free!) Chuck Griffiths wrote: > I always figured they mostly > took very accurate celestial observations. If you thought so too, check out the > history of the US Coast Survey at http://www.lib.noaa.gov/edocs/CONTENTS.htm. It > will completely amaze you. For instance, the first truly accurate longitude > reference in the US came using the "American Method" - using the telegraph to > determine time difference between two points.
