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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: A triangle on the equator
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2025 Oct 9, 17:48 -0700
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2025 Oct 9, 17:48 -0700
David P., you wrote:
"Well, I can think of one example although I'm not sure it passes the 'practical benefit' test: A subject for Master’s Coursework. We were asked to compare results for the great circle and the geodesic between London and New York."
Yes! I remember when you mentioned this once, possibly lots of years ago. At that time, it occurred to me (and I may have commented) that this was very similar to the last days of lunars. Decades after they had ceased to be of any practical benefit at sea, they continued in grueling "master's" courses as a means or torturing students. And your description of this calculation of ellipsoidal distance in a modern course sounds very much the same.
Frank Reed
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