Satori - 20/2/2007 9:04 AM Sorry for this simple question: when NASA gives the values of a rocket altitude during a launch (or even of a spacecraft in orbit) the values are in miles. Bur are we talking about statute miles or 'maritime' miles?
Spiff - 21/2/2007 11:07 AMWell although I'm a big metric lover, the nautical mile is actually one of the few exceptions I'm willing to make since it is (per definition) the distance corresponding to one arcminute around the earth. (40074000/(360*60) = approx. 1855 meter)However...... what happens to a nautical mile in orbit? Is it still the same arcminute and thus a longer distance? Or is the distance considered the same and does a nautical mile thus no longer correspond to one arcminute?Anyone knows?
Spiff - 21/2/2007 5:07 AMWell although I'm a big metric lover, the nautical mile is actually one of the few exceptions I'm willing to make since it is (per definition) the distance corresponding to one arcminute around the earth. (40074000/(360*60) = approx. 1855 meter)However...... what happens to a nautical mile in orbit? Is it still the same arcminute and thus a longer distance? Or is the distance considered the same and does a nautical mile thus no longer correspond to one arcminute?Anyone knows?
Jim - 21/2/2007 7:24 AMQuoteSpiff - 21/2/2007 5:07 AMWell although I'm a big metric lover, the nautical mile is actually one of the few exceptions I'm willing to make since it is (per definition) the distance corresponding to one arcminute around the earth. (40074000/(360*60) = approx. 1855 meter)However...... what happens to a nautical mile in orbit? Is it still the same arcminute and thus a longer distance? Or is the distance considered the same and does a nautical mile thus no longer correspond to one arcminute?Anyone knows? The reference is the earth' diameter, not the orbit of the craft