TERMIUM Plus^®

Record 1,  Textual support,  English

Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 CONT

(...) Maskeline tested a means of finding longitude as sea called the method of lunar distances. This involved measuring the Moon's position against the background of stars (the lunar distances were the star's distances from the Moon). The Moon's position in its orbit acted as a standard clock in the sky, to give a universal time scale (like modern Greenwich time) that could be read off from tables. Comparing this standard time with the local time revealed the observer's longitude.  1, record 1, English, - method%20of%20lunar%20distances

Record 1,  Textual support,  French

Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 DEF

(...) méthode qui permet de trouver l'heure de Greenwich, au moment de l'observation, pour que, par différence avec l'heure locale, on puisse déduire la longitude du lieu.  1, record 1, French, - m%C3%A9thode%20des%20distances%20lunaires

Record 1,  Textual support,  Spanish

Record 2,  Textual support,  English

Record number: 2, Textual support number: 1 DEF

The angle, at an observer on Earth, between the Moon and another CELESTIAL BODY. This was the basis of a method formerly used to determine LONGITUDE at SEA.  1, record 2, English, - lunar%20distance

Record 2,  Textual support,  French

Record number: 2, Textual support number: 1 DEF

Angle, mesuré par un observateur à la surface de la TERRE, entre la LUNE et un autre CORPS CÉLESTE. La mesure de la distance lunaire était autrefois à la base d'une méthode de détermination de la LONGITUDE en MER.  1, record 2, French, - distance%20lunaire

Record 2,  Textual support,  Spanish