Saturday May 8, 7 p.m.
Acadia University, Huggins 202 (usual place)
Navigation: Determining position on the third planet
by Roy Bishop
The surface of a planet is primarily two dimensional, thus two coordinates suffice to specify position. Several techniques of increasing precision have been used to determine position and thereby enable the preparation of maps, promotion of commerce, and expansion of empires. Latitude, the angle of the plumb bob direction to Earth’s axis of rotation, is relatively easy to establish using the stars. Longitude, location in the direction of Earth’s rotation, is both arbitrary and not as easy to determine. Techniques for finding latitude and longitude have been developed over the past five centuries, the most recent advance occurring within our lifetimes.