Gps Astronomy
How can you determine your approximate coordinates on Earth with only basic instruments?
Hello, I’ve been watching the show, The Prisoner, in which a man is brought to a coastal land he does not know the location of. I was wondering what scientific methods one can use to crudely determine his/her coordinates (without a GPS) by, for example, using knowledge of astronomy, oceanography, meteorology, species ID, etc. Given the context of my question, there’s no hurry for an answer. Thanks!
In the northern hemisphere, the angle of the north star, Polaris, above the horizon is your latitude. (At the north pole, Polaris is always directly overhead.)
The great question, that has plagued mankind for millennia, is how to determine longitude. That determination requires an accurate clock, and in the old days, a pendulum on a rocking ship was useless.
If you happen to be at the ocean’s edge, you can notice whether the ocean is to the east or west of the land. Then you can try to notice what language is being spoken. Let’s say you are at latitude 40 and the ocean is to the west of you. If the language being spoken is English or Mexican Spanish, you are in California. If the language is Portuguese, you are in Portugal. If it is Italian, you are in Italy and the “ocean” is the Mediterranean Sea.
|
|
BTG-8-P Multi-Function 3 in 1 Green Laser, Red LED’s, White LED’s $89.00 The Z-Bolt® BTG-8-P astronomy green laser and star finder features a constant on, time delayed switch for hands free use. Includes 3 pcs AAA alkaline batteries for extended green laser battery life (+20 hrs); white light LED’s for field illumination; red light LED for map reading. Ships in satin lined travel & carry case for field transportation; includes free Z-Bolt® detachable nylon lanyard AN… |
|
|
Celestial Navigation in the GPS Age $15.75 Celestial Navigation in the GPS Age by John Karl This revised and expanded edition of this popular CN book now introduces simple tabular sight reductions first, followed by calculator methods for those wishing to take full advantage of their flexibility. Of course it retains the same unprecedented clear and accurate explanation of CN mysteries, such as the role of the assumed position , and how po… |
|
|
Exploring Black Holes: Introduction to General Relativity $60.00 A concise, direct examination of general relativity and black holes, Exploring Black Holes provides tools that motivate tools that motivate readers to become active participants in carrying out their own investigations about curved spacetime near earth and black holes. The authors use calculus and algebra to make general relativity accessible, and use quotes from well-known personalities, includin… |
|
|
Space-Time Reference Systems (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library) $84.75 The high accuracy of modern astronomical spatial-temporal reference systems has made them considerably complex. This book offers a comprehensive overview of such systems. It begins with a discussion of âThe Problem of Timeâ, including recent developments in the art of clock making (e.g., optical clocks) and various time scales. The authors address  the definitions and realization of s… |
|
|
Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island $3.99 In Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island, the teen detective’s vacation in the Pacific Northwest runs aground, and it’s up to her to figure out why! Ages 10 & up… |
|
|
Wings of Silver – Volume 1 $3.29 Platform: WINDOWS & MACINTOSH (CLASSIC MODE) Publisher: ARC MEDIA Packaging: JEWEL CASE The United States Air Force– the most awesome array of firepower on the face of the Earth! In Volume 1 of Wings of Silver we put you in the cockpit of the USAF’s deadliest fighters attack aircraft and bombers. From the top-secret F-117 NIghthawk the hero of… |
|
|
Wings of Silver – Volume 2 $2.95 Platform: WINDOWS & MACINTOSH Publisher: ARC MEDIA Packaging: JEWEL CASE The United States Air Force ……. campaigns in Korea Vietnam and the Gulf War are featured in Volume 2 of Wings of Silver. Review the commands deployed around the clock and around the world and the technology that made them unbeatable. Action video of transport intelligence an… |
|
|
Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium $183.01 … |
|
|
Celestron NexStar 4 SE Telescope $499.00 TE1) CELESTRON NEXSTAR 4SE TELESCOPE… |
|
|
Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Computerized Telescope $399.00 The Celestron® NexStar® SLT Series 130 SLT reflector telescope showcases a computerized hand control and a 4000+ object database. With a touch of a button you can select the object catalog, change the slew speed, view fascinating information about an oject, or simply know if a desired object is visible in the sky. It comes equipped with a sturdy steel tripod, a StarPointer® finderscope, softwar… |
