OPPapers.com Essay Index >> History Other >> The Longtitude Challenge
We have many free term papers and essays on The Longtitude Challenge. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine.
The Longtitude Challenge. The Longitude Challenge: Anyone living in the eighteenth
century would have known that ?the longitude problem? ...
Submitted by Sammy503 on December 27, 2005
Category: History Other
Words: 709 | Pages: 3
Views: 164
Popularity Rank: 71,936
Average Member Grade: N/A (Add a Comment / Grade this Paper)
The Longitude Challenge:
Anyone living in the eighteenth century would have known that ?the longitude problem? was a scientific dilemma and had been for a long time. Without the ability to measure longitude, it was difficult for sailors to navigate. The problem was so immense that prizes were offered for the first person to solve the problem.
There were several competitors to solve ?the longitude problem,? including Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Christiaan Huygens, Jean Dominique Cassini, and Edmond Halley. Finally two reasonable methods were presented: the Lunar-Distance method and the Chronometer method. Once and for all John Harrison?s marine chronometer solved ?the longitude problem.?
Galileo first observed the moons in 1610 and 1612. He constructed charts of their movements. His observations were so accurate that he could predict their positions for the next several months. In 1616 Galileo proposed to the Spanish Court a way to measure time. It could be calculated at any point on Earth, using the moons of Jupiter. His proposal was taken a lot more seriously by Holland rather than Spain. Interest was lost in Galileo?s method soon after he died.
In 1714 the matter of finding the longitude at sea, was brought up to the House of Commons by many of the captains of Her Majesty's ships and London merchants. Isaac Newton presented evidence of several projects. One project was a watch that could keep time exactly. Another was similar to Galileo?s studies by using the moons of Jupiter, but to use the eclipses of Jupiter?s satellites, and the last was a new method proposed by William Whiston and Humphrey Ditton. They proposed:
"... A number of lightships be anchored in the principal shipping lanes at regular intervals. The lightships would fire at regular intervals a star shell timed to explode at 6440 feet. Sea captains could easily calculate their distance from the nearest lightship merely by timing the interval...
You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!