An Essay on the Use of Celestial and Terrestrial Globes - Paperback

by George Adams (Author)

How to navigate using 18th-century instruments. George Adams was the mathematical instrument maker to the King of England and the optician to the Prince of Wales. Utilizing simple scientific truths, Adams describes how to find the longitude and latitude of any location, how to ascertain the sunï 1/2s declination, how to construct a sundial, how to determine the coordinates of a comet, how to plan for winter or summer solstices, and much more.

Back Jacket

Originally published in 1766, An Essay on the Use of the Celestial and Terrestrial Globes can help you find the longitude of wherever you are or tell the time of day without using a watch. Utilizing simple scientific truths, George Adams describes how to construct a sundial, ascertain the sun's declination, determine the coordinates of a comet, plan for winter or summer solstices, and much more. His studies exemplify the general principles of navigation and are explained here in a series of astronomical and geographical essays and instructions.

The book is as useful to the contemporary reader seeking knowledge of basic scientific principles as it is to the astronomy, navigation, or geography student or hobbyist desiring a comprehensive and methodical handbook.

George Adams was the mathematical instrument maker to the king of England and the optician to the Prince of Wales.

Author Biography

Contemporary cartographers, astrologists, mechanics, and engineers are indebted to one eighteenth-century scientist, George Adams (1704-72). Commissioned by the king of England as Mathematical Instrument-Maker to the King, George Adams was given the resources to make strides and publish his findings, enabling advancements in many scientific fields. The royal court's interest in physics developed, in part, as a military tactic. Conducting a detailed geographical land survey allowed them to subdue the Scottish clans and gain control of the highlands. But Adams' instruments and expertise amassed more than land. George Adams is thought to be the predecessor of two significant globe-making pioneers, John Senex and James Ferguson. He created models of the solar system, mechanical pulleys, the hydraulic screw, and a compound engine. George Adams' sons, George Adams, Jr. (1750-95) and Dudley Adams (1762-1830), continued the family business as instrument and globe makers in London; and the Adams' expertise and practical applications are still used today. From his Essays on Electricity to An Essay on the Use of Celestial and Terrestrial Globes, Adams' observations continue to intrigue and inspire.