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New Algorithm for Great Elliptic Sailing (GES)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2009

Athanasios Pallikaris  and
George Latsas
Athanasios Pallikaris*
Affiliation:
(Hellenic Naval Academy)
George Latsas
Affiliation:
(National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)
*
(Email: palikari@snd.edu.gr)
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Abstract

An analytical method and algorithm for great elliptic sailing (GES) calculations is presented. The method solves the complete GES problem calculating not only the great elliptic arc distance, but also other elements of the sailing such as the geodetic coordinates of intermediate points along the great elliptic arc. The proposed formulas provide extremely high accuracies and are straightforward to be exploited immediately in the development of navigational software, without the requirement to use advanced numerical methods. Their validity and effectiveness have been verified with numerical tests and comparisons to extremely accurate geodetic methods for the direct and inverse geodetic problem.

Keywords

NavigationSailingsGeodesicGreat elliptic

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Navigation , Volume 62 , Issue 3 , July 2009 , pp. 493 - 507
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Navigation 2009

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References

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