Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!David.Smith@cmu-cs-ius.arpa From: David.Smith@cmu-cs-ius.arpa Newsgroups: net.space Subject: nautical miles again Message-ID: <12600@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Apr-84 12:33:43 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12600 Posted: Mon Apr 23 12:33:43 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 28-Apr-84 10:40:30 EST Lines: 14 As I noted, historical use of the nautical mile is based on historical use of degrees, minutes, and seconds to measure angles. Maybe we could get rid of nautical miles by forcing everyone to measure angles in grads (right angle = 100 grad). On the surface of the earth, 1 grad = 100 km. But I'm not holding my breath. David Smith P.S. It seems to me that the most natural angular measure for public use would be the "piradian," defined as 1 piradian = pi radians. On the surface of the earth, 1 millipiradian = 20 km. DRS