"The Earth is an irregular oblate spheroid (a sphere flattened at the poles). Measurements of its dimensions and the amount of its flattening are subjects of geodesy. However, for most navigational purposes, assuming a spherical Earth introduces insignificant error. The Earth’s axis of rotation is the line connecting the north and south geographic poles. A great circle is the line of intersection of a sphere and a plane through its center. This is the largest circle that can be drawn on a sphere. The shortest line on the surface of a sphere between two points on the surface is part of a great circle. On the spheroidal Earth the shortest line is called a geodesic. A great circle is a near enough approximation to a geodesic for most problems of navigation."
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Academics from the United StatesMathematicians from the United StatesSailorsAuthors from the United StatesAstronomers from the United States
Original Language: English
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The American Practical Navigator, Chapter. I, p. 3-4
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Bowditch
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Nathaniel Bowditch
1773 – 1838
Nathaniel Bowditch (26 March 1773 – 16 March 1838) was an early American mathematician remembered for his work on ocean navigation. He is often credited as the founder of modern maritime navigation; his book The New American Practical Navigator, first published in 1802, is still carried on board every commissioned U.S. Naval vessel. In 2001, an elementary and middle school in Salem was named in his honor.
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