Geographical mile: Difference between revisions
wikademia>Coolhandscot m add conversion table |
wikademia>Turbothy mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{references}} | |||
{{unit of length| | {{unit of length| | ||
|name= geographical mile | |name= geographical mile | ||
|m= | |m= 1855 | ||
|accuracy=3 | |accuracy=3 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Revision as of 11:55, 20 November 2006
Template:Unit of length The geographical mile is a unit of length determined by 1 minute of arc along the Earth's equator, approximately equal to 1855 metres (6087.15 international feet).
The unit is not used much; it is closely related to the nautical mile, which was originally determined as 1 minute of arc along a great circle of the Earth and is nowadays defined to be exactly 1852 metres.
The Danish and German geographical mile (mil and Meile respectively) is 4 minutes of arc, and was defined as approximately 7421.5 metres by the astronomer Ole Rømer of Denmark. In Norway and Sweden, this 4 minute geographical mile was mainly used at sea (sjømil), up to the beginning of the 20th century.
See also
- Medieval weights and measures for details of the geographical league of France
- conversion of units
- mile for the various other miles in use