Tables Requisite to Be Used with the Nautical Ephemeris, for Finding the Latitude and Longitude at Sea: Published by Order of the Commissioners of Longitude

Nevil Maskelyne

doi:10.1017/CBO9781107049642

Successful long-distance navigation depends on knowing latitude and longitude, and the determination of longitude depends on knowing the exact time at some fixed point on the earth's surface. Since Newton it had been hoped that a method based on accurate prediction of the moon's orbit would give such a time. Building on the work of Euler, Thomas Mayer and others, the astronomer and mathematician Nevil Maskelyne (1732–1811) was able to devise such a method and yearly publication of the Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris placed it in the hands of every ship's captain. First published in 1767 and reissued here in the revised third edition of 1802, the present work provided the necessary tables and instructions. The development of rugged and accurate chronometers eventually displaced Maskelyne's method, but navigators continued to make use of it for many decades. This edition of the tables notably formed part of the library of the Beagle on Darwin's famous voyage.

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-ii
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PREFACE
pp iii-vi
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TABLE I - The Refractions of the Heavenly Bodies in Altitude
pp 1-1
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TABLE II - Depression or Dip of the Horizon of the Sea
pp 1-1
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TABLE III - The Sun's Parallax in Altitude
pp 1-1
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TABLE IV - Augmentation of the Moon's Semidiameter
pp 1-1
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TABLE V - Dip of the Sea at different Distances from the Observer
pp 1-1
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TABLE VI - For reducing the Sun's Declination, as given in the Nautical Almanac for Noon at Greenwich, to any other Time under that Meridian; or to Noon under any other Meridian
pp 2-6
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TABLE VII - The Right Ascensions and Declinations of the principal Fixed Stars of the First and Second Magnitudes, adapted to the Beginning of the Year 1796, with their annual Variations
pp 7-7
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TABLE VIII - For reducing the Apparent Altitude of the Moon to the true
pp 8-17
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TABLE IX - Logarithms for readily computing the true Distance of the Moon from the Sun or a Fixed Star
pp 18-32
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TABLE X - Numbers to be subtracted from the Logarithms in Table IX, when the Moon's Distance from the Sun is observed
pp 33-33
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TABLE XI - Numbers to be subtracted from the Logarithms in Table IX, when the Moon's Distance from a Star is observed
pp 33-33
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TABLE XII - The Moon's Parallax in Altitude
pp 33-33
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TABLE XIII - For computing the Effect of Parallax on the Moon's Distance from the Sun or a Star
pp 34-37
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TABLE XIV - For turning Degrees and Minutes into Time, and the contrary
pp 38-38
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TABLE XV - Proportional Logarithms
pp 39-56
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TABLE XVI - For computing the Latitude of a Ship at Sea, having the Latitude by Account, Two observed Altitudes of the Sun, the Time elapsed between the Observations measured by a common Watch, and the Sun's Declination
pp 57-80
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TABLE XVII - Natural Sines to every Degree and Minute of the Quadrant
pp 81-90
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TABLE XVIII - The Logarithms of Numbers from One to Ten Thousand
pp 91-106
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TABLE XIX - Logarithmic Sines, Tangents, and Secants
pp 107-152
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TABLE XX - For reducing the Time of the Moon's Passage over the Meridian of Greenwich to the Time of its Passage over any other Meridian
pp 153-153
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TABLE XXI - For reducing the Moon's Declination, as given in the Nautical Almanac for Noon and Midnight at Greenwich, to any other Time under that Meridian; or to Noon or Midnight under any other Meridian
pp 154-157
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TABLE XXII - For reducing the Sun's Right Ascension in Time, as given in the Nautical Almanac for Noon at Greenwich, to any other Time under that Meridian; or to Noon under any other Meridian
pp 158-160
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TABLE XXIII - For correcting the Latitude computed from the Latitude by Account, Two observed Altitudes of the Sun, and the interval of Time between them
pp 161-162
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TABLE XXIV - For correcting the Latitude computed from Two Altitudes of the Sun, &c
pp 163-163
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TABLE XXV - For correcting the Latitude computed from Two Altitudes of the Sun, &c
pp 164-164
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TABLE XXVI - For correcting the Apparent Distance of the Moon from a Fixed Star
pp 165-165
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TABLE XXVII - For correcting the Apparent Distance of the Moon from the Sun
pp 166-166
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TABLE XXVIII - For correcting the Apparent Distance of the Moon from the Sun or a Fixed Star
pp 167-168
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Tables Requisite to Be Used with the Nautical Ephemeris, for Finding the Latitude and Longitude at Sea

Published by Order of the Commissioners of Longitude

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