[Boatanchors] Radio Ranges/Nautical Mile/Navigation

[Bill Pileggi]

I hope this isn't too far off on that "how much is a nautical mile thread", and may pose a neat question at the end.

A nautical mile, by definition and agreement, is 1852 meters. 1852 meters is equal to 1 second (of arc). 60 seconds is equal to 1 degree (can you see where this is going?). 360 degrees equals a 'great circle' path around the earth, or a line of longitude. Do the math, starting with 1852 meters and you end up with the approximate circumference of the Earth.

Which leads us to a cool question I first posed to my 10 year old niece*: We know how long an hour is - How FAR is an hour?  [Adults with a sea-faring background get it, and yet so many others don't. The EXACT answer is quite simply stated.] (*My brother-in-law is a GPS manager at a major defense contractor, and I'm still teaching him :-) Bill KA3AIS



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