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Subject: On polar nav
From: Peter Fogg (ffive@XXX.XXX)
Date: Wed Sep 11 2002 - 18:18:25 EDT
Am reading 'Robert E. Peary at the North Pole' A Report to the National
Geographic Society by The Foundation for the Promotion of the Art of
Navigation.
It has, not unexpectedly, much data on the navigation involved. There is
a map showing his track, which indicates he over-ran his latitude by a
few miles (kept going north until he was heading south again) and the
implication is that this ensured he reached the pole, given the
limitations of his instruments - within about 5 miles.
This raises a question, which was put as an assertion by a 'reliable
source' - that the thing to do, and the thing done, was to set out from
the polar camp and follow a circle around it, so that the actual pole,
if a little way off, would be encompassed and any subsequent doubts
about exact postion would
be laid to rest. The book doesn't mention this, although the track on
the map indicates Peary was off a little to one side (to the left while
facing north).
Some time ago there was some discussion on the list about polar
navigation. Amundsen apparently camped and measured the sun's altitude
thoughout the day. Although I have no reason to doubt that these
measurements were taken with great care surely there would be a
practical limit to just how precise a spot they could indicate.
Does anybody know whether Amundsen did send out a party to circle his
polar camp? I know Scott found Amundsen's black tent and accepted this
as the pole, so I guess he didn't describe any circles.
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