It works because a nautical mile is based on a degree of latitude, and the Earth (e) is a circle.
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Obligatory repeat of the fact that the ratio between miles and kilometres is ln(5), correct to less than 0.01% (yes, that’s a percent of a percent).
The golden ratio or Fibonacci numbers are used more often for the same trick but they’re off by, at best, very slightly worse than 0.5%.
correct to less than %%
Fibonacci numbers are easier than ln(5) to calculate on the spot tho
You’re not wrong. The ln(5) trick is for when you have a scientific calculator but it doesn’t have the conversion built in.
This is cursed on so many different levels!
Knot is just nautical mile per hour, so it can be simplified so:
π miles = e nautical miles
Thanks, I hate it
