NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: The development of bubble sextants
From: Douglas Denny
Date: 2009 Aug 15, 02:43 -0700
From: Douglas Denny
Date: 2009 Aug 15, 02:43 -0700
Dear Gary, Coriolis is a very real acceleration. It is not fictional at all. The sextant (and person ) is being carried through space in a curved motion by the Earth itself, and the acceleration due to curved motion is real enough, just the same as if you are in the big Millenium Ferris Wheel in London, or in a fairground 'Skyboat' device whizzing around in circular motion. Coriolis just happens to be a small quantity - though relevant in calculation if you are in a jet moving at around 400 knots. I have a theodolite made by British Aerospace with a North seeking gyro built in which 'feels' the acceleration right enough to provide North to within a few second of arc. Coriolis can be allowed for because the motion of the Earth is 'constant' so the parameters can be calculated for the direction of travel and Latitude, the main components affecting the apparent local gravitational field due to Coriolis. Douglas Denny. Chichester. England. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ NavList message boards: www.fer3.com/arc Or post by email to: NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
