... Many years ago today...

sheepherder · 06-17-2015, 12:26 PM

Ya know, sometimes when you do a 'Search' for some piece of information, you come up with much more than you ever wanted to know...

For distance sailors used (and still use) the so called 'nautical mile'. If you slice Earth into two equal halves right through its center along equator for example, then divide the perimeter (the circumference) into 360 degrees, then each degree into 60 arc minutes, the length you get is approximately 1 nautical mile. So, to recap, one nautical mile is the arc distance of about 1 minute of a degree (or 1/60th of a degree) of Earth.

The meter was also defined quite arbitrary around 17th century as one part in 10 million of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator along the meridian of Paris

We used to have a retired Colonel/pilot in my old squadron...Great guy, but if you asked him what time it was, he'd tell you how to build a clock...

06-17-2015, 12:26 PM	#13
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,197 Thanks: 1,416 Thanked 4,462 Times in 2,336 Posts	Ya know, sometimes when you do a 'Search' for some piece of information, you come up with much more than you ever wanted to know... For distance sailors used (and still use) the so called 'nautical mile'. If you slice Earth into two equal halves right through its center along equator for example, then divide the perimeter (the circumference) into 360 degrees, then each degree into 60 arc minutes, the length you get is approximately 1 nautical mile. So, to recap, one nautical mile is the arc distance of about 1 minute of a degree (or 1/60th of a degree) of Earth. The meter was also defined quite arbitrary around 17th century as one part in 10 million of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator along the meridian of Paris We used to have a retired Colonel/pilot in my old squadron...Great guy, but if you asked him what time it was, he'd tell you how to build a clock... __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...