Can’t we just use the metric or imperial system? why is there a need to use this measurement that is seemingly coming from chopping the earth into half and dividing its circumference by 360 degrees, and then calculating a minute of arc of it?
Also what did I just say? The way this measurement is made makes no sense
In: 0
it helped with navigation. If you sail 60 miles north, your latitude coordinate has changed by 60 minutes, or 1 degree.
If you use other units, you need to convert, which means doing math, on a swaying desk of a medieval ship. Paper is expensive, and so are pencils. So you will be scrawling your numbers in coal on a plank of wood, possibly in very bad light.
Can’t we just use the metric or imperial system? why is there a need to use this measurement that is seemingly coming from chopping the earth into half and dividing its circumference by 360 degrees, and then calculating a minute of arc of it?
Also what did I just say? The way this measurement is made makes no sense
In: 0
it helped with navigation. If you sail 60 miles north, your latitude coordinate has changed by 60 minutes, or 1 degree.
If you use other units, you need to convert, which means doing math, on a swaying desk of a medieval ship. Paper is expensive, and so are pencils. So you will be scrawling your numbers in coal on a plank of wood, possibly in very bad light.
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