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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Newton and Halley
From: Scott Owen
Date: 2007 Nov 22, 00:31 -0600
From: Scott Owen
Date: 2007 Nov 22, 00:31 -0600
Michael Daly wrote: >> That applies only to Mike's special interpretation of the instrument, and to >> the Royal Society engraving. To an open mind things are different, with our >> new understanding of how Newton's note can be read.. > > I have an open mind, however, I'm not gullible. I'll accept anything > that can be reasonably proved. I've seen no such proof. > > You are continually referring to some mythical Newtonian instrument that > you never describe and is completely undocumented. Provide a reliable > source or drop the fantasy. > > Mike Mike, I freely admit my knowledge of this subject as limited to what I have read in CDR Bauer's book, "The Sextant Handbook" of which I hope the good CDR does not mind me quoting rather liberally. As to whether or not he is a reliable source I leave that to your opinion. IMHO he seems to treat this subject fairly and objectively on pp 25-35. So here goes. Page 25, CDR Bauer says: "In 1699 Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) conceived the principle of measuring angles by double reflection and made an instrument that would do so." Does this mean that Newton actually produced a working prototype or just a drawing? I suggest that it doesn't matter, the drawing is as good as the prototype. However, I DO believe Newton made a working prototype of the double reflecting instrument see below. Page 26, CDR Bauer says: "On 9 August 1699, the celebrated Newton, the Einstein of his age, personally appeared before the Royal Society to reveal a new principle of optics to this group whose purpose was to receive, evaluate and disseminate scientific knowledge. He read and submitted a paper on an instrument made on the principle. From the Journal book of the Royal Society (minutes of the meeting), set down in a bold and flowing script: Mr Newton shewed a new instrument contrived by him for observing the moon and starrs, the longitude at Sea, being the old instrument mended of some faults with which notwithstanding Mr. Hally (sic) had found the longitude better than the Seaman by other methods. The minutes were referring to Edmund Halley (1656-1742), later the secretary of the Royal Society, who applied Newtons concepts to predict the comet that bears his name. In 1699 Halley had recently returned from a voyage to Brazil, during which he evaluated an instrument designed by Dr. Robert Hooke, a rival of Newton. Hooke's instrument used a mirror, but did not incorporate the double reflecting principle. It did not work very well. This Royal Society Journal book entry constituted a clear record of what in current patent office terminology would be called disclosure of a new invention. That someone was listening attentively is demonstrated by the insertion of a comment in the minutes of the next meeting -- 25 October 1699 -- by Dr. Hooke that: ...the instrument mentioned last meeting was of his [Hooke's] invention before the year 1665 and that the use and fabric of it was declared in the History of the Royal Society. He disputed the originality of Newton's concept or model or both. We cannot tell which." So now we have Sir Isaac Newton and Dr. Hooke (rivals) saying they each invented the double reflecting principle and an instrument to measure such. Newton in 1699 and Hooke sometime before 1665. Again according to Bauer, John Hadley in 1731 presented yet another paper to the Royal Society on the double reflecting principle and TWO prototypes. It was one of these prototypes that went into commercial production shortly thereafter. Further, at the same time as Hadley, Thomas Godfrey (an American and close associate of Ben Franklin) also laid claim to developing the double reflecting instrument. Ultimately, the Royal Society settled the Godfrey/Hadley dispute by saying it was "simultaneous and independent invention". Both of these instruments use the double reflecting principle but look sufficiently different. And actually these instruments were octants not sextants. So there you have it, abbreviated sextant history according to CDR Bauer. There is much more in the book and I can highly recommend it. --Scott --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---