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Formulae Sheet Comparison

SQA Navigation Terrestrial Navigation Celestial Navigation

Distance = Speed×Time

Parallel Sailing:
Departure = DLong ×cos Lat
Plane Sailing: Observed Position Determination:
𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 = 𝐃𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠×𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐭 Departure = DLong ×cos Mean Lat Departure
DLong =
cos Mean Lat

𝐃𝐞𝐩 Departure
𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 = tan Course =
𝐃𝐋𝐚𝐭 DLat
Departure
sin Course =
Distance
𝐃𝐋𝐚𝐭 DLat
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 = cos Course =
𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 Distance

Mercator Sailing:
𝐃𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 DLong
𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 = tan Course =
𝐃𝐌𝐏 DMP
DLat
Distance =
cos Course

Great Circle Sailing: Calculated Altitude:

𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐀𝐁 = 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐏×𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐏𝐀×𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐏𝐁 cos Dist = cosDLong×cosLatA×cosLatB sin CA = cos LHA × cos Lat × cos Dec
+ (𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐏𝐀×𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐏𝐁) ± sinLatA × sinLatB ± sin Lat × sin Dec

(see note overleaf) Lat A and Lat B same name = ADD Lat and Dec same name: ADD
Lat A and Lat B opposite = SUBTRACT Lat and Dec opposite: SUBTRACT

𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐭 tan Lat A tan Lat

𝐀= A= A=
𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐇𝐀 tan DLong tan LHA
DLong < 90° named opposite Lat. Named opposite Lat unless LHA
DLong > 90° named same as Lat. between 90° and 270°
Use absolute value Use absolute value

𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜 tan Lat B tan Dec

𝐁= B= B=
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐇𝐀 sin DLong sin LHA
Absolute value named same as Lat B Absolute value named same as Dec

𝐂 = 𝐀 ± 𝐁 C = A ± B C = A ± B
Same names: ADD Same names: ADD
Opposite names: SUBTRACT Opposite names: SUBTRACT
Name as greater of A or B Name as greater of A or B

𝟏 tan Initial Course = 1 ÷ C ÷ cos LatA * 1

𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐳𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐡 = tan Azimuth =
𝐂 × 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭 C × cos Lat
N/S: Same as C
E/W: Same as Dlong N/S: Same as C
E/W: LHA<180° = W / LHA>180° = E

𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜 sin Dec

𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 = sin Amplitude =
𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭 cos Lat
E/W: Rising = E / Setting = W
N/S: Same as Dec

* Formula is arranged for calculator input.

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 SQA Navigation Terrestrial Navigation Celestial Navigation

Napier’s Rules:
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐝 = 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐣×𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐣 sin mid = tan adj×tan adj
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐝 = 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐨𝐩×𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐨𝐩 sin mid = cos op×cos op
Trig Functions:
sin 90 − θ = cos θ
cos 90 − θ = sin θ
1
tan 90 − θ =
tan θ

Great Circle Vertex:

cos LatV = sin IC × cos LatA
tan DLongAV = 1 ÷ tan IC ÷ sin LatA *
Great Circle Waypoint:
tan LatW = cos DLongVW × tan LatV
tan LatW
cos DLongVW =
tan LatV
* Formula is arranged for calculator input.

Note:
The SQA formula overleaf (cos AB = ….) relates to the following diagram (which is NOT shown on the formula sheet).
The diagram has been annotated to show the link to terrestrial navigation and reproduced to show the link to
celestial navigation.

P
Dlong
Side PB

Side PA
Polar Distance
(90-Dec)
Initial
Course
B
Side AB P
(Distance A to B) LHA
A
Lat B
Lat A Colat
(90-lat)
Azimuth X
TZD
Dec
Z
Lat