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Josef (also José or Joseph) de Mendoza y Ríos (1761–1816) was a Spanish astronomer and mathematician of the 18th century, famous for his work on navigation.
The first work of Mendoza y Ríos was published in 1787: his treatise about the science and technique of navigation in two tomes. He also published several tables for facilitating the calculations of nautical astronomy and useful in navigation to calculate the latitude of a ship at sea from two altitudes of the sun, and the longitude from the distances of the moon from a celestial body.
In the field of the nautical instruments, he improved the
#Tratado de Navegación. Tomo I y tomo II, Madrid, Imprenta Real, 1787.
#Memoria sobre algunos métodos nuevos de calcular la longitud por las distancias lunares: y application de su teórica á la solucion de otros problemas de navegacion. Madrid, Imprenta Real, 1795.
#Colección de tablas para varios usos de la navegación. Madrid, Imprenta Real, 1800. (Traducida al inglés al año siguiente).
#Table des latitudes croissantes Connoissance des Temps... pour l’annee comune 1793 (1791): 303.
#Mémoire sur la methode de trouver la latitude par le moyen de deux hauteurs du soleil, del’intervalle de tems écoule entre les deux observations, et de la latitude estimée. Connoissance des Temps pour l’année comune 1793 (1791): 289–302.
#Mémoire sur la méthode de trouver la latitude par le moyen de deux hauteurs du soleil, de l'intervalle de temps écoulé entre les deux observations et de la latitude estimée, ... aris .I. 7938°, 14 p. et planche.
#Memoire sur le calcul de la longitude en mer, par les distances de la lune au soleil et aux étoiles. Connaissance des Temps... (1796–1797): 258–284.
#Recherches sur les solutions des principaux problemes de l'astronomie nautique. Philosophical Transactions, 87 (1797): 43-122.
#Recherches sur les solutions des principaux problemes de l´astronomie nautique. London, .I. 1797.4º, 4 + 85 p.
#Tables to correct the observed altitudes of the sun, moon and the stars. London, .I. 801º, 92 p.
#On an improved reflecting circle. Philosophical Transactions, 91 (1801): 363–374.
#On an improved reflecting circle London, W. Bulmer, 1801.4º, 14 p.
#Tables for facilitating the calculations of nautical astronomy, and particularly of the latitude of a ship at sea from two altitudes of the sun, and that the longitude from the distances of the moon from the sun or a star, and particularly of the latitude of a ship at sea from two altitudes of the sun, and that of the longitude from the distances of the moon from the sun or a star; containing the natural versed – sines to every 10 seconds, and the logarithmic-sines, double-sines, versed-sines, &c. to every minute from 0 to 80 degrees; and several other tables, useful in astronomy and navigation. London, R. Faulder, 1801. 4º, 8 + 311 + 77 p. Appendix, containing tables for clearing the apparent distances of the moon from the sun or a star, from the effects of parallax and refraction. By H. Cavendish: 77 p. at end.
#A complete collection of tables for navigation and nautical astronomy, with simple, concise and accurate methods for all the calculation useful at sea; particularly for deducing the longitude from lunar distance, and the latitude from two altitudes of the sun and the interval of time between the observations. London, printed by T. Bensley, sold by R. Faulder, etc., 1805. Folio, 12 + 47 + 670 p. + 1 h.
#A Complete Collection of Tables for Navigation and Nautical Astronomy. With simple, concise and accurate methods for all the calculation useful at sea. Connaissance des Temps... pour l’an 1808 (1806): 443–447.
#A Complete Collection of Tables for Navigation and Nautical Astronomy. With simple, concise and accurate methods for all the calculation useful at sea; particularly for deducing the longitude from lunar distance, and the latitude from lunar distance, and the latitude from two altitudes of the sun and the interval of time between the observations. 2nd ed. improved. London, T. Bensley, 1809. 4º, 6 p. + 1 h. + 604 p. + 58 p. + 1 h.
#Tables for facilitating the calculation of nautical astronomy. London, 1812.
#Forms for the ready calculation of the longitude... with the Tables published by Joseph de Mendoza Ríos. London, Black, Parry, & Co, 1814.4º, 6+ p.
On an Improved Reflecting Circle
— Philosophical Transactions.
Joseph de Mendoza y Rıos- Teorıa, observacion y tablas IMMR
LA COLECCIÓN DE MENDOZA Y RÍOS EN EL MUSEO NAVAL DE MADRID
* Navigational Algorithms http://sites.google.com/site/navigationalalgorithms/ facsimile of the Latitude and Lunar Distance chapters. * Tratado de Navegación. Tome I http://www.google.es/books?id=egw6EJqi3rYC * Tratado de Navegación. Tome II http://www.google.es/books?id=GunvU8qfXzYC {{DEFAULTSORT:Mendoza Y Rios, Josef 1761 births 1816 deaths 18th-century Spanish mathematicians Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 19th-century Spanish astronomers 18th-century Spanish astronomers
reflecting circle
Reflecting instruments are those that use mirrors to enhance their ability to make measurements. In particular, the use of mirrors permits one to observe two objects simultaneously while measuring the angular distance between the objects. While r ...
.
In 1816, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien) is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special ...
.
Biography
In 1787, De Mendoza published his first work, his treatise on the sciences and techniques of navigation in two volumes, a reference work of the time. After this, he proposed the creation of the maritime library, located in Cádiz, which would eventually become the ''Depósito Hidrográfico'' of the navy. He also published several tables using the harversine method (of his invention), to facilitate the calculations of nautical astronomy and navigation. Mainly oriented to the calculation of the latitude of a ship at sea by means of two heights of the Sun and the time elapsed between them, and to the obtaining of the longitude by themethod of lunar distances
In celestial navigation, lunar distance is the angular distance between the Moon and another celestial body. The lunar distances method uses this angle, also called a lunar, and a nautical almanac to calculate Greenwich time if so desired, or ...
.
In the field of nautical instruments, he perfected the reflecting circle
Reflecting instruments are those that use mirrors to enhance their ability to make measurements. In particular, the use of mirrors permits one to observe two objects simultaneously while measuring the angular distance between the objects. While r ...
On an improved reflecting circle. Philosophical Transactions, 91 (1801): 363-374. of Borda. In 1816, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien) is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special ...
.
As a curious fact about the method of calculation of that time, while writing the last edition of his famous Lunar Tables, in 1815 (ten months before he died drowned in Brighton), he wrote a letter to general Espinosa y Tello (a good friend of him), where he said verbatim: ''"... I have at hand Works of such magnitude that I am unable to supply two calculators, I will take four or five more calculators on my return to London ... " Enciclopedia general del Mar, Garriga, Barcelona, Vol. V, pag.1122
His work
#Tratado de Navegación. Tomo I y tomo II, Madrid, Imprenta Real, 1787.
#Memoria sobre algunos métodos nuevos de calcular la longitud por las distancias lunares: y application de su teórica á la solucion de otros problemas de navegacion. Madrid, Imprenta Real, 1795.
#Colección de tablas para varios usos de la navegación. Madrid, Imprenta Real, 1800. (Traducida al inglés al año siguiente).
#Table des latitudes croissantes Connoissance des Temps... pour l’annee comune 1793 (1791): 303.
#Mémoire sur la methode de trouver la latitude par le moyen de deux hauteurs du soleil, del’intervalle de tems écoule entre les deux observations, et de la latitude estimée. Connoissance des Temps pour l’année comune 1793 (1791): 289–302.
#Mémoire sur la méthode de trouver la latitude par le moyen de deux hauteurs du soleil, de l'intervalle de temps écoulé entre les deux observations et de la latitude estimée, ... aris .I. 7938°, 14 p. et planche.
#Memoire sur le calcul de la longitude en mer, par les distances de la lune au soleil et aux étoiles. Connaissance des Temps... (1796–1797): 258–284.
#Recherches sur les solutions des principaux problemes de l'astronomie nautique. Philosophical Transactions, 87 (1797): 43-122.
#Recherches sur les solutions des principaux problemes de l´astronomie nautique. London, .I. 1797.4º, 4 + 85 p.
#Tables to correct the observed altitudes of the sun, moon and the stars. London, .I. 801º, 92 p.
#On an improved reflecting circle. Philosophical Transactions, 91 (1801): 363–374.
#On an improved reflecting circle London, W. Bulmer, 1801.4º, 14 p.
#Tables for facilitating the calculations of nautical astronomy, and particularly of the latitude of a ship at sea from two altitudes of the sun, and that the longitude from the distances of the moon from the sun or a star, and particularly of the latitude of a ship at sea from two altitudes of the sun, and that of the longitude from the distances of the moon from the sun or a star; containing the natural versed – sines to every 10 seconds, and the logarithmic-sines, double-sines, versed-sines, &c. to every minute from 0 to 80 degrees; and several other tables, useful in astronomy and navigation. London, R. Faulder, 1801. 4º, 8 + 311 + 77 p. Appendix, containing tables for clearing the apparent distances of the moon from the sun or a star, from the effects of parallax and refraction. By H. Cavendish: 77 p. at end.
#A complete collection of tables for navigation and nautical astronomy, with simple, concise and accurate methods for all the calculation useful at sea; particularly for deducing the longitude from lunar distance, and the latitude from two altitudes of the sun and the interval of time between the observations. London, printed by T. Bensley, sold by R. Faulder, etc., 1805. Folio, 12 + 47 + 670 p. + 1 h.
#A Complete Collection of Tables for Navigation and Nautical Astronomy. With simple, concise and accurate methods for all the calculation useful at sea. Connaissance des Temps... pour l’an 1808 (1806): 443–447.
#A Complete Collection of Tables for Navigation and Nautical Astronomy. With simple, concise and accurate methods for all the calculation useful at sea; particularly for deducing the longitude from lunar distance, and the latitude from lunar distance, and the latitude from two altitudes of the sun and the interval of time between the observations. 2nd ed. improved. London, T. Bensley, 1809. 4º, 6 p. + 1 h. + 604 p. + 58 p. + 1 h.
#Tables for facilitating the calculation of nautical astronomy. London, 1812.
#Forms for the ready calculation of the longitude... with the Tables published by Joseph de Mendoza Ríos. London, Black, Parry, & Co, 1814.4º, 6+ p.
Honors
Mendoza Cove in Antarctica is named after José de Mendoza y Ríos.See also
* Bowditch's ''American Practical Navigator *Celestial navigation
Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, is the practice of position fixing using stars and other celestial bodies that enables a navigator to accurately determine their actual current physical position in space (or on the surface of ...
* Haversine
* History of longitude
* Lunar distance (navigation)
* Marine sandglass
A marine sandglass is a timepiece of simple design that is a relative of the common hourglass, a marine (nautical) instrument known since the 14th century (although reasonably presumed to be of very ancient use and origin). Sandglasses were used t ...
* Nautical almanac
* Navigational Algorithms
* Sextant
A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects. The primary use of a sextant is to measure the angle between an astronomical object and the horizon for the purposes of celes ...
* Reflecting instrument
References
External links
On an Improved Reflecting Circle
— Philosophical Transactions.
Joseph de Mendoza y Rıos- Teorıa, observacion y tablas IMMR
LA COLECCIÓN DE MENDOZA Y RÍOS EN EL MUSEO NAVAL DE MADRID
* Navigational Algorithms http://sites.google.com/site/navigationalalgorithms/ facsimile of the Latitude and Lunar Distance chapters. * Tratado de Navegación. Tome I http://www.google.es/books?id=egw6EJqi3rYC * Tratado de Navegación. Tome II http://www.google.es/books?id=GunvU8qfXzYC {{DEFAULTSORT:Mendoza Y Rios, Josef 1761 births 1816 deaths 18th-century Spanish mathematicians Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 19th-century Spanish astronomers 18th-century Spanish astronomers