NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Hypothetical Exercise - Abduced By Aliens
From: Greg R_
Date: 2008 Jul 1, 20:23 -0700
From: Greg R_
Date: 2008 Jul 1, 20:23 -0700
--- 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 > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---