NAVIGATION 2 CELESTIAL NAVIGATION

Unit 1

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GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES SYSTEM

CELESTIAL SPHERE
EQUINOCTIAL COORDINATES SYSTEM

Celestial Sphere : An imaginary sphere of infinite radius against which the celestial bodies appear to
be projected of the visible sky, like a dome.

Celestial Pole : the point on the celestial sphere directly above either of the earth's geographic
poles, around which the stars and planets appear to rotate.

Celestial Equator : the projection into space of the earth's equator; an imaginary circle equidistant
from the celestial poles

Parallels of Declination : small circles of the celestial sphere that is parallel to the celestial equator

Celestial Meridians : A great circle on the celestial sphere passing through the celestial poles and an
observer's zenith.

Ecliptic : the great circle on the celestial sphere representing the apparent annual path of the sun
relative to the stars.

Obliquity of the ecliptic : The angle between the planes of the ecliptic and the equinoctial. This
amounts at present to about 23° 27′

First point of Aries : The point on the celestial sphere where the path of the sun crosses the celestial
equator from south to north in March. Also called vernal equinox.

First point of Libra : The point on the celestial sphere where the path of the sun crosses the celestial
equator from north to south in September. Also called autumnal equinox.
GHA LHA SHA OF A STAR

Greenwich Hour Angle (GHA) The hour angle between the Greenwich Meridian and the meridian of
a celestial body is known as the Greenwich Hour Angle.

Local Hour Angle (LHA) is the angle between the meridian of the observer and the meridian of the
geographical position of the celestial body (GP).

Sidereal Hour Angle (SHA) the angle, measured westward through 360°, between the hour angle
passing through the first point of Aries (vernal equinox) and the hour angle of a celestial body.

The GHA for a star is the sum of the GHA for Aries and the SHA ( GHA * = GHA ꙋ + SHA * )
Right ascension (abbreviated RA; symbol α) is the angular distance of a particular point measured
eastward along the celestial equator from the first point of Aries (Sun at the March equinox) to the
meridian of point in question above the earth.

The table below gives the actual variation in rates of change of HA for each body

SUN 15⁰ per hour (assumed constant)

ARIES 15⁰ 02.5’ per hour (assumed constant)
VENUS 14⁰ 59.0’ to 15⁰ 05.0’ per hour
MARS 15⁰ 00.0’ to 15⁰ 03.4’ per hour
JUPITER 15⁰ 02.0’ to 15⁰ 03.4’ per hour
SATURN 15⁰ 02.0’ to 15⁰ 03.4’ per hour
MOON 14⁰ 19.0’ to 14⁰ 37.0’ per hour
HORIZON COORDINATES SYSTEM

Zenith : the point on the celestial sphere directly above an observer on the Earth

Nadir : the point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the celestial sphere

Vertical circle : a vertical circle is a great circle on the celestial sphere that is perpendicular to the
horizon. Therefore, it passes through the zenith and the nadir.

Prime vertical : a great circle in the celestial sphere passing through the zenith and the east and west
points of the horizon.

Principal vertical : a great circle in the celestial sphere passing through the zenith and the north and
south points of the horizon.
Azimuth

The direction of a celestial object from the observer, expressed as the angular distance from the
north or south point of the horizon to the point at which a vertical circle passing through the object
intersects the horizon.

Altitude

The angular distance of a celestial body above or below the horizon, measured along the great circle
passing through the body and the zenith.

Amplitude

The angular distance of a celestial object from the true east or west point of the horizon at rising or
setting.

AMPLITUDE

The amplitude of a heavenly body is the arc of horizon contained between the position of the body
when rising or setting and the East or West point of the horizon. Alternatively, it is the angle
between the bearing of the body when rising or setting and the East or West direction.
In the above diagram, α° is the amplitude of body X, which is setting and has north declination, so
the amplitude is named as Wα°N. β° is the amplitude of body Y, which is rising and has south
declination, so it is named Eβ°S. Basically, the amplitude of a heavenly body is named East if rising,
and West if setting, followed by North or South depending on the declination of the body at time of
observing.

Sin Amplitude = Sin Declination

Cos Latitude

The amplitude is a simple and quick method for checking compass error. The bearing of a heavenly
body when rising or setting is calculated in advance, which is the true bearing. At the moment it is at
the horizon, the bearing is taken with the compass. Compare the true bearing and compass bearing
to establish the compass error.

PARALLAX

Parallax is the apparent shift caused by viewing an object from two different vantage points. You can
see it easily just by alternately blinking your left and right eye.

Horizontal Parallax: Geocentric parallax observed when the celestial body is at the horizon
Hipparchus, in the second century BC, derived a very good estimate of the distance to the Moon
using lunar parallax.

It can also be defined as the angle subtended at the distance of the CB by the radius of the Earth.
Parallax in Altitude

True altitude of the body Angle RCX = Angle XTS (corresponding angles)
Angle XTS = Angle SOX + Angle CXO (sum of the interior opposite angles)
Angle RCX = Angle XTS
Angle RCX = Angle SOX + Angle CXO
True Altitude = Observed Altitude + Parallax in Altitude

Applying Sine rule to Triangle OCX,

Sin Parallax in Alt = Sin Angle COX
OC CX
Sin Parallax in Altitude = OC Sin ( 90⁰ + Angle SOX )
CX

= OC Cos Apparent Altitude (SOX is apparent altitude)

CS
= Sin HP x Cos App Alt (Ratio OC/CS is sin of HP)
Parallax in Altitude = HP x Cos App Alt

Therefore, Parallax is maximum when the body is on the horizon

Parallax is zero when the body is on the zenith

THE SEMI DIAMETER

When measuring the altitudes of the Sun, Moon, Venus and Mars, it is usual to align either the top
(Upper Limb) or bottom (Lower Limb) of the body with horizon. Regardless of which limb we use,
what we really need is the altitude of the center so we must either add or subtract the value of its
semi-diameter. The angular diameter of a body depends on its distance from the Earth.

The semi-diameter of the Sun is also given in the daily pages of the Nautical Almanac. However, the
correction for the Sun’s semi-diameter is included in the Altitude Correction Tables and so need not
be separately considered.
 B

Visible Horizon : Is a small circle on earth’s surface bounding the observer’s field of vision at sea. Arc
V-V in the picture

Sensible Horizon : Sensible horizon is the imaginary plane passing through the observer’s eye.
Represented by S-S in the picture.

Rational Celestial Horizon : Is a great circle on celestial sphere every point on which is 90 deg away
from observer’s zenith. The plane of observer’s rational horizon passes through the center of earth.
R-R as represented on picture.

Sextant altitude : Altitude of the body above the visible horizon, as taken using sextant.

Observed altitude : The sextant altitude corrected for any Index Error. Angle BOV in picture.

Apparent altitude : Is the sextant altitude corrected for Index Error and Dip. Angle BOS in picture.

Dip : Is the angle at the observer between the plane of observer’s sensible horizon and the direction
to his visible horizon. Angle SOV in the picture.

True altitude : Is the arc of the vertical circle or the angle at the center of Earth contained between
the plane of the observer’s Celestial /Rational horizon and the center of the body. Angle BCR in
picture

Refraction

Refraction is the change in direction of propagation of a wave due to a change in its transmission
medium. Refraction causes celestial objects to have an apparent altitude that is higher than their
true altitude.

Thus, refraction corrections always involve subtracting a correction term from a measured altitude.

It depends so strongly on atmospheric conditions, particularly the rate of temperature variation with
altitude.
 Refraction

Using link below watch how the sextant angle of sun is taken.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sextant&oldid=244007996

Artificial Horizon

What is an artificial horizon? Basically, it is a flat, level, horizontal, reflecting surface. A small pan
filled with oil or water will work just fine. You only need to be certain that the surface of the liquid is
not disturbed in any way while taking the sight.

Davis Instrument Artificial Horizon

(One drawback to the design of the sloped frame glass plate holder is that the water used will
evaporate and could condense on the inside of the glass plates. This should be wiped clean before
your sight is made.)

The artificial horizon can be used with any celestial object bright enough to be reflected off of the
artificial horizon's liquid surface. Fill the bottom of the artificial horizon with water and then position
it toward the object of interest, in this case the sun. Use the shadow cast by the artificial horizon as an
indication when it is pointed in the direction of the object, as seen in Figure.

The sun's image in Figure above is not very stable. Once you have a stable reflection on the liquid
surface of the artificial horizon you are ready to measure the altitude of the object.
Bring the sun's image in the index mirror down to the sun's reflection. At this time, bring the index
image over the artificial horizon's image so that one is on top of the other and take the time this is
done. Since it is not possible to see both images coincide, use a gentle pendulum motion, swinging the
index image over the reflected image, and when it seems that both are at the same place that is when
you record the time of the sight and the angle from the sextant.

Above figure shows both the reflected sun from the artificial horizon's surface (in blue) and the index
mirror reflection (in red). Notice that the index image is too low and must be moved up slightly to be
equal with the reflected image.

Read the angle from the sextant. Keep in mind that the angle recorded by the sextant is twice the
actual angle of the altitude of the sun. All angles measured with the artificial horizon are always twice
the angle of the altitude of the object. The sextant is not level when you take a sight with the artificial
horizon. You are actually looking down on the artificial horizon's liquid surface reflection of the sun
at the same angle of the sun's actual altitude (see Figure 4). Hence, when you bring the sun's image
down to the artificial horizon's liquid surface the index arm moves twice the altitude angle.

The use of an artificial horizon is limited to a sighting of an object that is less than about 50 degrees
actual altitude because your scale on the sextant is only able to measure angles less than 100 degrees;
50 degrees times two equals 100 degrees on your scale. The artificial horizon works best well before
the meridian crossing or well after the meridian crossing of an object.

If you use this method and bring the two reflected images in coincidence (one on top of the other) you
do not have to worry about making the semi-diameter corrections since the images in coincidence are
centered on the sun's (or moon's) center and not either limb. The dip correction is not needed because
you are not above the natural horizon. As you recall, the higher up your eye is when you take the sight
the farther away the horizon is. This adds an error that must be corrected for when using the natural
horizon, but not with an artificial horizon. You only have to include the index error and refraction or
parallax errors if applicable. These errors are either indicated in the tables you use or the computer
program will determine those corrections for you.