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--- m_burkes@msn.com wrote:

> Hi folks, Sorry to belabor this great problem but I suppose if one
> were cast to the high seas he can at least determine the hemisphere
> by the star configuration

See my musings on the subject in the [Discussion] thread:
http://www.fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx?i=105475&y=200806

> and if Northern hemisphere Polaris can yield Latitude and therefore 
> carry on with the further iterations.

Good point as well - there were some pretty good ideas floated on this
one, I don't think any of us on the list would stay "lost" in a
situation like that for too long...  ;-)

--
GregR



--- m_burkes@msn.com wrote:

> 
> Hi folks, Sorry to belabor this great problem but I suppose if one
> were cast to the high seas he can at least determine the hemisphere
> by
> the star configuration and if Northern hemisphere Polaris can yield
> Latitude and therefore carry on with the further iterations. I may
> have missed this in the discussions and thanks much.
> Mike Burkes
> 
> On Jun 15, 10:18 pm, "Greg R."  wrote:
> > [The basis for this hypothetical celnav problem has been discussed
> (at least in theory) on the list before, so let's try it with a "for
> real" exercise]
> >
> > After recovering from being unceremoniously dumped on an unknown
> shore in his/her last adventure (not to mention draining the sailing
> budget with salvaging the boat and the boatyard repair bills), our
> intrepid navigator decides that a several-weeks long cruise to
> somewhere in the distant islands would be just the ticket. Several
> days into this idyllic voyage a definite feeling of relaxation starts
> to set in - ah, now this is the life.
> >
> > But of course, it was not to continue... after toasting yet another
> glorious sunset at sea, our intrepid navigator suddenly finds his/her
> reverie broken by a group of very bright lights moving rapidly
> through the sky. After passing close abeam, the lights abruptly
> change course and hover directly over the boat, illuminating it with
> what can only be a several-billion candlepower searchlight. To
> his/her horror, the navigator suddenly finds the entire boat being
> lifted out of the water and into the open doors of what appears to be
> some sort of alien spacecraft. Then just as suddenly as they
> appeared, the armada of alien spacecraft abruptly depart for an
> uncharted (at least to us) part of the galaxy.
> >
> > Luckily for our intrepid navigator, the aliens are only curious and
> do him/her no harm. After a couple hours of poking and prodding (and
> having a good laugh over the primitive Earthling navigation
> equipment), they realize that the human lifeform is so vastly
> inferior to their own that nothing further would be gained from
> holding him/her any longer and they decide to return their captive
> back to Earth.
> >
> > In an instant (at least in Earth time) they're once again hovering
> over the navigator's home planet, gently place the boat back in the
> water, and disappear once again before the navigator has a chance to
> fully comprehend exactly what just happened.
> >
> > But there's no time to dwell on this latest adventure... like a
> good navigator s/he realizes that the most pressing problem right now
> is to figure out where the boat is now located (at least it seems to
> be on an ocean, which is a good thing...), but notes with some dismay
> that all of the onboard electronic navigation/computer gear was
> apparently zapped by being transported to the outer reaches of the
> galaxy.
> >
> > However, all of the celnav gear (sextant, books, plotting tools,
> chronometer, etc.) is still intact and onboard, evening twilight is
> approaching, and with an ironic sense of deja vu the navigator takes
> these sights:
> >
> >   05:46:40Z  Vega  Hs = 16�38.8'
> >   05:52:18Z  Spica  Hs = 54�43.4'
> >   05:54:26Z  Pollux  Hs = 21�02.6'
> >
> > Height of eye on the boat = 8 feet, index error = 0.0', and assume
> standard atmospheric conditions (the salvage/repair/refit budget
> didn't allow for purchasing a new barometer and thermometer). Last
> known Earth date was June 14, 2008 - you can ignore any dilution of
> time factors (or other effects of trans-space travel).
> >
> > Where are we? And where is the nearest civilization?
> >
> > Discussion item: How would you go about solving this particular
> navigation problem?
> >
> > --
> > GregR
> > 
> 


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