Several years ago I watched an interesting miniseries on A&E or PBS titled "Longitude." It dramatized how the creation of a durable chronometer enhanced?? or allowed the ability to precisely locate anywhere on the planet by way of longitude and latitude.

Was there any reasonably effective workaround to identify longitude or [semi] precise point on the planet prior to the invention of the chronometer? If there was, what and how was this done?

There was not, the British actually offered a prize for a method to determining ones longitude, which is what prompted the cronometer's invention.

Latitude (at least in the northern hemisphere) was easy, simpy measure the angle of the north star, at least for thepast couple of thousand years.

Pine trees and palm trees. You'd leave Europe and sail west. When you reached land, if it had pine trees, you turned left; if palm trees, you turned right.

^^^Haha...priceless!

Longitude coincided with the invention of a clock that could accurately be used at sea, as pendulum clocks would not work properly at sea. The following link give a nice brief history on the quest for longitude.

http://www.thegreenwichmeridia...ticles.php?article=9

quote:

Originally posted by Naphtali:
Several years ago I watched an interesting miniseries on A&E or PBS titled "Longitude." It dramatized how the creation of a durable chronometer enhanced?? or allowed the ability to precisely locate anywhere on the planet by way of longitude and latitude.

Was there any reasonably effective workaround to identify longitude or [semi] precise point on the planet prior to the invention of the chronometer? If there was, what and how was this done?

The fact is there was no way to accurately determine longitude. they could guess...

It was not until the development of accurate
chronometers that could be synchronized with one another and their accuracy independently verified to THE reference time clock in Greenwich, England even the diameter of the earth could not be precisely be determined.

Nor for that matter could that of any location other than the arbitrary point of reference.
(Greenwich)

That show was as much about the crown being unwilling to actually PAY the reward promised.

The original prize offered in the "Longitude Act of 1715" was for 10,000lb Sterling for a method that could be proven as accurate to within 60NM and a top prize of 20,000lb for 30NM

John Harrison eventually received $15,000Lbs

Remember this was a prize offered in Pounds Sterling when that literally meant actual troy pounds of Silver Bullion. In today's terms that means the top prize offered was worth around 5million dollars, considerably more in actual purchasing power.


History of Longitude:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_longitude

Read the Wikipedia page on Longitude Prize:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_prize

Determining longitude was THE scientific question of the age back then.

Phillip II of Spain had an offer of cash plus a lifetime pension and a Knighthood that was never claimed,

There was a similar prize offered by the Netherlands that was also never collected.

Once Britain
HAD the secret they guarded it rather closely.

Knowing EXACTLY where you were was of critical Military importance and in many cases literally Life or Death

good read-

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...ef=kinw_myk_ro_title

The opening scene in Longitude shows a seaman arguing that they are not where they think they are. He is hung by the Captain, the following scene shows the news of the shop hitting the shoals and loosing her cargo and most of the crew.
Native Pacific Islanders could navigate by the stars and the taste of the water according to their legends.