Mary Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 'Viking sunstone' found in shipwreck A crystal found in a shipwreck could be similar to a sunstone - a mythical navigational aid said to have been used by Viking mariners, scientists believe. The team from France say the transparent crystal may have been used to locate the Sun even on cloudy days. This could help to explain how the Vikings were able to navigate across large tracts of the sea - well before the invention of the magnetic compass. However, a number of academics treat the sunstone theory with scepticism. Viking legends The team from the University of Rennes in France say they found the crystal while examining the wreck of a British ship sunk off the island of Alderney - in the English Channel - in 1592. An oblong crystal the size of a cigarette packet was next to a pair of dividers - suggesting it was part of the navigational equipment. It has now been shown that it is of Iceland spar - a form of calcite known for its property of diffracting light into two separate rays. Testing a similar crystal, the scientists proved that by rotation it was possible to find the point where the two beams converge - indicating the direction of the Sun. They say it works on cloudy days, and when the Sun has set. COOL OR WHAT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 'Viking sunstone' found in shipwreckA crystal found in a shipwreck could be similar to a sunstone - a mythical navigational aid said to have been used by Viking mariners, scientists believe. The team from France say the transparent crystal may have been used to locate the Sun even on cloudy days. This could help to explain how the Vikings were able to navigate across large tracts of the sea - well before the invention of the magnetic compass. However, a number of academics treat the sunstone theory with scepticism. Viking legends The team from the University of Rennes in France say they found the crystal while examining the wreck of a British ship sunk off the island of Alderney - in the English Channel - in 1592. An oblong crystal the size of a cigarette packet was next to a pair of dividers - suggesting it was part of the navigational equipment. It has now been shown that it is of Iceland spar - a form of calcite known for its property of diffracting light into two separate rays. Testing a similar crystal, the scientists proved that by rotation it was possible to find the point where the two beams converge - indicating the direction of the Sun. They say it works on cloudy days, and when the Sun has set. COOL OR WHAT? I saw a report about that - just a brief news report . It seemed to suggest that this showed the Vikings had this technology. Can't quite see how this follows when it was found on an Elizabethan ship. - still, as you say, cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 if anyone is interested in the Vikings - I found Neil Oliver's book "Vikings A History" (a spin-off from his TV series) very informative and an enjoyable read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 In navigation knowing where the sun is has limited use unless you have an accurate clock. It can help you find your latitude but not your longitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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