Re: Origin of 360 degrees in a Circle?

From: John Morrison (john.morrison_at_tesco.net)
Date: 07/04/04

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    Date: Sun, 04 Jul 2004 03:16:48 GMT

    "Jay Belanger" <belanger@truman.edu> wrote in message
    news:87u0wpqbnm.fsf@truman.edu...
    >
    > ex120sqn@hotmail.com (Ian) writes:
    >
    > > As an ex-RAF Navigator, the circle with its 360 degrees was
    > > fundamental to my daily life, in calculation of track, heading or
    > > drift.
    > >
    > > Bearing in mind the subdivisions are based on the number "60":
    > >
    > > 60 seconds (") = 1 minute (')
    > > 60 minutes (') = 1 Degree
    > >
    > > Why then are there not 60 Degrees in a circle?
    >
    > The 60s are from the Babylonians, who liked the number (aside from
    > being large, it's a convenient base). The used a combination base 10
    > and base 60 system.
    > Not surprisingly, their calendar had 360 days in a year; 360 being a
    > multiple of 60 and close to the actual number of days in a year.
    > (They had the occasional leap month to help things work out better).
    > A degree, then, would be the amount the Earth circles the Sun in a
    > day (or from an Earth-centric point of view, the amount the Sun moves
    > relative to the fixed background of stars).
    >
    > Jay

        Add to what Jay has written the following observation: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8,
    9, 10 and 12 are all factors of 360: of the natural numbers not > 12 (and
    excluding unity, for obvious reasons), this omits 7 and 11 only. If you want
    divisibility by 7, look to money: in the UK, the guinea - 21 shillings.

        If you want divisibility by 11: either dream, or surprise me!

    John
    johnDOTmorrisonATtescoDOTnet 

    -- 
"Never wrestle a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it." - Paul
Oldham
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