And we still use sextants and charts. The charts are flat projections of the surface of a sphere and have been for a long time. Calculations are done in 3d.
I'm not a historian, but it's been that way for hundreds of years.
Wait, were you asking if we use an actual spherical globe? Ha! It'd have to be the size of texas!
There are practical reasons why it's done the opposite, flat charts are projected onto a globe. The practical rationale is that you can only see about 20km around at any given point, and in that scale, it's all going to be a flat topographical area.
I suspected it wasn't a globe, but rather charts. I was only partially serious, and that's not a direction I could form any strong arguments one way or another, simply because of a lack of experience.
If you're not moving more that 20km, the earth is big enough that you can consider it flat. Ships move thousands of miles, you can't treat it as flat anymore.
I was trying to convey how much trouble we go through because charts are flat and the earth isn't. It's a PITA sometimes.
Yes. It's the only way it works.
It worked just as well for centuries using a compass and a sextant, using flat charts, so, no, it's not "the only way."
And we still use sextants and charts. The charts are flat projections of the surface of a sphere and have been for a long time. Calculations are done in 3d.
I'm not a historian, but it's been that way for hundreds of years.
Wait, were you asking if we use an actual spherical globe? Ha! It'd have to be the size of texas!
There are practical reasons why it's done the opposite, flat charts are projected onto a globe. The practical rationale is that you can only see about 20km around at any given point, and in that scale, it's all going to be a flat topographical area.
I suspected it wasn't a globe, but rather charts. I was only partially serious, and that's not a direction I could form any strong arguments one way or another, simply because of a lack of experience.
If you're not moving more that 20km, the earth is big enough that you can consider it flat. Ships move thousands of miles, you can't treat it as flat anymore.
I was trying to convey how much trouble we go through because charts are flat and the earth isn't. It's a PITA sometimes.
It didn't work until the maritime chronometer was invented.