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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Transcription of Worsley's Log
From: Brad Morris
Date: 2009 Mar 17, 07:50 -0700
From: Brad Morris
Date: 2009 Mar 17, 07:50 -0700
Hi George I make the error in displacement to be 18.54 miles further west. Allow me to explain. The miles for one degree of longitude, at latitude, can be found by A = Cos(latitude)*60. {Dutton, article 202} So for the equator, we have 60 miles for one degree. Then we can determine the number of miles in 15 degrees, 15*A. For the equator this is 900 miles. B = A*15 Since 15 degrees in longitude is one hour, we can resolve the number of miles per second MPS = B/3600 For the equator, this resolves to 0.25 miles per second. Inverting, we get 4 seconds per mile, that familiar saw. Now let me insert the latitude of Cape Belsham on Elephant Island. A=Cos(61.10611)*60 = 28.991 miles for one degree of longitude B = 28.991 * 15 = 434.870 miles for 15 degrees MPS = B/3600 = 0.12079 miles per second Inverting, we get 8.279 seconds per mile Finally, we have Worsley's (to him unknown) chronometer error of 2 minutes 33.5 seconds. This is 153.5 seconds. Divide 153.5 by 8.279 and you get 18..54 miles. We can see the result of this on 8 May1916, when he makes his position to be South 54 degrees 19 minutes West 39 degrees 36 minutes. He should be able to reach out and touch South Georgia Island. Yet he cannot see it. At 12:30 that day, he finally does, at an estimated distance of 9 miles. Best Regards Brad --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---