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Q: GPS coordinates for solar eclipse ( No Answer,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: GPS coordinates for solar eclipse
Category: Science > Astronomy
Asked by: leocasado-ga
List Price: $20.00
Posted: 07 Apr 2006 10:49 PDT
Expires: 07 May 2006 10:49 PDT
Question ID: 716524
In August 21, 2017 and April 8, 2024 the path total solar eclipses
will cross the US. What are the exact GPS coordinates for the
intersection of both paths?

More information:
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEgoogle/TSE2017google.html
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEgoogle/TSE2024google.html
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: GPS coordinates for solar eclipse
From: barneca-ga on 10 Apr 2006 17:58 PDT
 
Thanks a whole lot leocasado, I saw this on Friday, and ended up
wasting hours of my weekend poking around on sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov
and related sites, addicted.  Since the question has been unlocked for
a while now and no one has taken a crack at it, I thought I?d let you
know what I found, even though it isn?t the ?exact? coordinates
(whatever that means) you asked for.

I opened two browser windows side by side, one with each link you
provided.  The location of the center of the map is given at the
bottom of the screen.  By continually zooming in (by eye) on the
location of the intersection, and clicking to center the map on each
path (this works better, and is even cooler, using Satellite view;
they intersect just west of that one tree!), I could narrow it down to
something precise to within about 100 ft:
(37.6421, -89.2654).

That?s decimal degrees; GPS coordinates are:
(37d 38.526m, -89d 15.924m).

In the woods, east of S. Poplar Camp Rd, south of Salem Rd., just east
of Cedar Lake south of Carbondale, IL.

I suspect this precision is false accuracy, however.  For one thing,
not sure how accurately the centerline is drawn on their map; it says
?1 degree spacing between data points?, so I assume it?s drawn as a
straight line between every 1 degree longitude.  Also, I?m not sure
how accurately they know the locations of the data points that far in
the future (it also says ?Based on data updated 2005 Aug 25?, so
evidently they?re still tweaking things as the Earth wobbles or
something).  For all I know, that line could shift a few inches, or
feet, or fractions of miles over the coming years as better
calculations are made.

-cab

p.s. If you?re wondering, as I did for a while, why your question was
locked all weekend, you?re a victim of the fact the NASA used Gxxgle
maps on those links, and so ?gxxgle? appeared in the address.  In
their infinite wisdom, Gxxgle Answers locks all questions with those 6
letters in the question until they can verify? umm? well? to be honest
I don?t know what they hope to achieve.  I?m about 95% sure my use of
those 6 letters wouldn?t relock the question, but I?m just being safe?
Subject: Re: GPS coordinates for solar eclipse
From: myoarin-ga on 11 Apr 2006 05:12 PDT
 
I figured that someone would take the trouble. :-)

Since the line of total eclipse also has a certain breadth, there
should be a little leeway in the coordinates for the lines' crossing.
Well, there are eclipses when the moon is further from the earth, so
that in the extreme case, the edge of the sun is still visible around
the moon.

And yes, Google locks automatically questions in which the word
appears.  This doesn't happen when it later appears in comments.  I
expect they want to check on what people are saying or asking about
them.

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