法国科学家认为进一步了解为何维京人能在指南针发明之前航行大海之谜。据悉,在英吉利海峡一艘英国船只废墟中发现的一颗水晶就是古挪威文学中所指的“太阳石”。据悉这种水晶可用来确定太阳的位置,休·斯科菲尔德报道。
An oblong crystal the size of a cigarette packet was found on a ship next to a pair of dividers, suggesting that it was part of the navigational equipment. It’s now been shown that the crystal is of Iceland spar, a form of calcite, which is known for its property of diffracting light into two separate rays. Testing a similar crystal, the team of scientists from Rennes University in France shows that by rotating it you can find the point where the two beams converge and that indicates the direction of the sun. It works on cloudy days and when the sun has set.
船只废墟中发现一块香烟盒大小的长方形水晶,该水晶位于两脚规的旁边,表明这是航行设备的一部分。这种水晶是冰洲石,是方解石的一种,这种石头可以将光衍射称各种光线。法国雷恩大学的科学家小组通过测试类似的水晶发现,转动这种水晶可以发现两个光柱的汇合点,这样就能指明太阳的方向。这种石头在阴天和日落时仍然可以发挥作用。
BBC News
BBC新闻
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