6 replies to this topic

[NMBob]

The manual says it should show distances in miles, but I'm just getting km/AU/parsecs/etc. which is kinda useless for USA outreach stuff. I have to keep doing the math in my head.

 

[sg6]

Cannot see anything in my settings.

Miles can only be useful for solar system bits.

Also isn't the offical unit of distance for the US Kilometers, not miles ?

 

I know just about everything is given in miles but the oddity being that offically the US uses Kilometers.

[NMBob]

I couldn't find any setting, either. The manual just says it should be there with the others. Oh gosh -- basically NOTHING is metric for common folks, except 750ml bottles of whisky. Yeah, miles for solar system stuff and lightyears. Parsecs and megaparsecs also mean nothing to the general public.

Edited by NMBob, 07 September 2019 - 01:52 PM.

[TomTTuttle]

...

Also isn't the offical unit of distance for the US Kilometers, not miles ?

 

I know just about everything is given in miles but the oddity being that offically the US uses Kilometers.

Not that I've ever seen. We have 1 (yep 1) interstate that uses metric - I-19:   https://en.wikipedia...i/Interstate_19

The books we produced at the US Army Corps of Engineers for Waterborne Commerce used short tons (2000 lbs) and Ton/Miles. 

Edited by TomTTuttle, 26 September 2019 - 01:23 PM.

[corax]

Huh.

 

Personally, even though I too am soaked in imperial units, I find 0.6 x umpteen-kerjillion miles to be no less mind-boggling than umpteen-kerjillion kilometers.

[NMBob]

Huh.

 

Personally, even though I too am soaked in imperial units, I find 0.6 x umpteen-kerjillion miles to be no less mind-boggling than umpteen-kerjillion kilometers.

Invariably John Q Public can handle the miles, but their brain locks up on the word kilometer. "What is that in miles?" It never fails. If they don't ask you know they are from out of town.

[NMBob]

Not that I've ever seen. We have 1 (yep 1) interstate that uses metric - I-19:   https://en.wikipedia...i/Interstate_19

The books we produced at the US Army Corps of Engineers for Waterborne Commerce used short tons (2000 lbs) and Ton/Miles. 

Huh. Didn't know that! Are there still a lot of kilometers on California roads? They really got into it for a while.

 

Still haven't found the 'miles' switch in SkySafari.