The nautical mile and astronomical navigation: In navigation and aviation, especially at sea, the nautical mile is used as a unit of measurement. It is equivalent to one minute of angle along a meridian on Earth.
The nautical mile and astronomical navigation:
They define it as one minute of arc measured along any meridian.
In terms of distance, a nautical mile is equal to 1,852 kilometer.
People commonly use it to measure distances at sea or in the air.
The use of NM, the internationally agreed-upon measure of one nautical mile, which is exactly 1.852 meters, remains in place today
The nautical mile and astronomical navigation:
The nautical mile and astronomical navigation
In fact, envisioning the Earth halved simplifies the calculation since the NM derives from Earth’s circumference. (40.000 km)
After dividing the half-circle into equal portions of 360°, one can further divide these degrees into 60 minutes.
Classic explanation
Within navigation, one of these minutes (also referred to as minutes of arc) along a great circle on Earth represents a single NM.
overall, nautical charts employ one of three map projections: the gnomic, polyconic, and Mercator.
As a matter of fact, among these three, the Mercator projection takes precedence as lines of latitude and longitude intersect at right angles, creating a rectangular grid.
In fact, this grid enables users to plot straight lines of latitude and longitude as direct courses easily for navigation purposes.
The nautical mile and astronomical navigation:
Also, on this website, we explore creating a simplified plotting sheet inspired by the Mercator concept
Indeed, incorporating the NM, which represents one minute of latitude, greatly simplifies navigation in open water.
Consequently, it assumes a vital role in exploration, shipping, and geography, contributing significantly to these fields.
Difference between a nautical mile and a knot. NOAA