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Plotting the globe : stories of meridians, parallels, and the international date line / Avraham Ariel, Nora Ariel Berger.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Ariel, Avraham.
- Series:
- Explorations in world maritime history
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Meridians (Geodesy).
- Prime Meridian.
- International Date Line.
- Physical Description:
- xii, 235 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.
- Place of Publication:
- Westport, Conn. : Praeger Publishers, 2006.
- Summary:
- People use concepts such as time and date to structure their lives on a daily basis. They often measure their travel by marking points arranged along great circles on the globe. Yet most do not understand the origin and history of these terms and the stories of the intrepid adventurers, scientists, and seafarers who shaped our picture of the world today. Ariel transports readers to faraway lands and ancient cultures that span more than 3500 years of exploration. Phoenicians, Spaniards, Portuguese, British, French, and many others star in an epic that stretches from Lapland to Cape Horn, via Greenwich, Paris, the Andes and the Fortunate Islands.
- Contents:
- I The Meridians
- 1 The Lemon or Orange Debate 9
- 2 Measuring a Meridian Mark I: What Is the Shape of the Earth? 19
- 3 Measuring a Meridian Mark II: How Long Is One Meter? 65
- II The Prime Meridian
- 4 From Hipparchus to Pulkovo 81
- 5 Greenwich-The Ultimate Prime Meridian 89
- 6 Greenwich Goes International 101
- 7 1984 Beats 1884-GPS 109
- 8 Time and Tide Wait for No Man, Especially at Greenwich 115
- III The International Date Line
- 9 The Paradox: Lost by Magellan, Found by Fogg 127
- 10 The International Date Line-Truth or Myth? 141
- 11 The International Date Line and the Millennium 151
- IV The Equator
- 12 Crossing the Line 159
- 13 Who Did It First? 163
- End of Story 187.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages [209]-216) and index.
- Local Notes:
- Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Edward Potts Cheyney Memorial Fund.
- ISBN:
- 0275988953
- OCLC:
- 60839352
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