Two On A Big Ocean The Story of the First Circumnavigation
of the Pacific Basin
in a Small Sailing Ship


      

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Hal Roth
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Re: Mendoza's method for clearing lunars.

From: Frank Reed (no email)
Date: Mon Aug 02 2004 - 18:44:48 EDT

  • Next message: Royer, Doug: "Sextant lubrication and protection"

    As I noted on this list three months ago, the 1828 edition of Norie is
    available online at the Mystic Seaport Library. It is COMPLETE (including Table
    XXXV).

    Here is a link to the digital collection:
    http://www.mysticseaport.org/library/initiative/MsList.cfm

    Scroll down the list to "N". You will find "New and Complete Epitome of
    Navigation" by Norie, J.W. 1828. Follow the link. Then scroll down to "Tables". All
    of the tables are lumped together. Table XXXV starts on page 224.

    But you don't really need the original. As I noted on this list two months
    ago, Table XXXV is nothing more than a tabulation of the quantity
    (1/2)*cot(d)*x^2 where d is the lunar distance, and x is the other angle (either
    correction). That's all it is! Note that if you want the values in seconds of arc at the
    end and the angle x is in minutes of arc (as it is in the published table),
    then you need to divide by 57.3 (degrees in a radian). Clearly it is EASY to
    punch up any values from Table XXXV you may require on a handheld calculator or
    in a spreadsheet or other software.

    Most of the series methods, Witchell's, Mendoza Rios, Bowditch #1, etc.
    require the calculation of two linear terms and (usually) one quadratic term. As I
    described in my post on "Easy Lunars" (available online at
    www.historicalatlas.com/lunars ), the corrected distance d' is found from the uncorrected
    distance d via
       d' = d + A*dh1 + B*dh2 + Q.
    That's two terms that depend linearly on the altitude corrections, dh1 and
    dh2, and one term that depends quadratically on dh1 (other quadratic terms are
    not necessary because they're very small). Details on tha A and B factors at
    the link above, but for now it's worth knowing that Q is given by
       Q = (1/2)*cot(d)*dh1^2*(1 - A^2).
    If you multiply this out, you find that you have two terms:
       Q = (1/2)*cot(d)*dh1^2 - (1/2)*cot(d)*(dh1*A)^2.
    So this means that we can get Q by entering a table of (1/2)*cot(d)*x^2 twice
    --once with the Moon's altitude correction and then again with the Moon's
    linear term which we have already calculated.

    See??

    Frank R
    [ ] Mystic, Connecticut
    [X] Chicago, Illinois


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