CIRCUMPOLAR BODIES PROBLEM

Q 1. A STAR WHEN ON THE MERIDIAN BELOW THE POLE BORE SOUTH WITH AN ALTITUDE
320 06’ AND WHEN ON THE MERIDIAN ABOVE THE POLE BORE NORTH WITH ALT 740 22’.
CALCULATE THE OBSERVER’S LATITUDE AND DECLINATION OF THE STAR .
Q 2. AN OBSERVER OBTAINS THE MERIDIAN ALTITUDE OF A BODY AS FOLLOWS:ABOVE THE
POLE 880 00’ TO THE SOUTH AND BELOW THE POLE 100 15’ TO THE NORTH ,CALCULATE
LAT AND DECLn .
Q 3. A STAR WITH DECLn 500 12’ S HAD A TRUE ALT 260 15’ AT LOWER TRANSIT .FIND THE
SEXTANT ALT OF THE SAME STAR AT UPPER TRANSIT, IE:- 1.5’ ON THE ARC; H.E:- 15 m.
Q 4. IF LATITUDE OF OBSERVER IS 450 S AND DECLINATION OF A HEAVENLY BODY IS 500 S.
FIND IF THE BODY IS CIRCUMPOLAR.IF YES THEN CALCULATE UPPER AND LOWER
MERIDIAN ALTITUDE.
Q 5. ON TROPIC OF CANCER THE UPPER MERIDIAN ALTITUDE OF A STAR IS THREE TIMES THE
LOWEER MERIDIAN ALTITUDE .FIND THE DECLINATION (MMD Q JULY’19) 2ND BATCH
Q 6. FOR A STAR TO BE CIRCUMPOLAR TO AN OBSERVER IN A CERTAIN NORTH LATITUDE ,ITS
ALTITUDE AT UPPER TRANSIT BEARING NORTH SHOULD NOT EXCEED 470 16’. FIND
OBSERVER’S LAT AND DECLn
Q 7. TO A STATIONARY OBSERVER THE TRUE ALTITUDES OF A STAR WHEN ON THE MERIDIAN
AT THE UPPER TRANSIT WAS 800 09’ BEARING SOUTH AND LOWER TRANSIT WAS 110
45’ BEARING NORTH , CALCULATE TRUE ALTITUDE WHEN ON PRIME VERTICAL .
(MMD Q JAN’19)
Q 8. FIND TWO LATITUDES IN WHICH A STAR HAVING A DECLn OF 680 46’ N WILL BEAR
NORTH WITH A TRUE ALT OF 160 12’.
ANS:-
Q 1. ANS:- LAT :- 680 52’ S DECLn 530 14’ S
Q 2. ANS:- LAT ;- 510 07.5’ N ; DEC:- 490 7.5’ N
Q 3. ANS:- 740 17.6’
Q 4. ANS :- UMP ALT :-850 00’ AND LMP ALT :- 50 00’
Q 5. ANS:- DEC:- 780 15’ N
Q 6. ANS :- LAT :- 230 38’ N ; DECLn:- 660 22’ N
Q 7. ANS:- LAT :- 550 48’N ; DEC:- 450 57’ N; T.ALT :- 600 20.55’
Q 8. ANS:- 050 02’ S AND 370 26’N.
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROBLEMS.

Q 9. THE SUN CROSSES THE OBSERVER’S PRIME VERTICAL TO THE WEST OF THE MERIDIAN
WITH A TRUE ALTITUDE OF 140 25’. IF THE DECLn IS 100 19.7’ N. FIND THE LATITUDE OF
THE OBSERVER AND THE LHA OF THE SUN.

Q 10. TWO SHIP’S ‘A’ AND ‘B’ ON THE SAME MERIDIAN OBSERVE THE SUN SIMULTANEOUSLY
AT NOON AND BOTH GET THE SAME MZD 400,THE DECLINATION OF SUN IS 100 N .THE
SUN BEARS DUE NORTH FROM ‘A’ AND DUE SOUTH FROM ‘B’.FIND THE LATITUDES OF
‘A’ AND ‘B’.

Q 11. AN UNKNOWN STAR ROSE BEARING 1230(T) WHEN BEARING EAST IT HAD A TRUE
ALTITUDE OF 24030’ .FIND THE LATITUDE OF THE OBSERVER AND STAR’S DECLINATION.

Q 12. IF THE SUN ROSE AT 0525 LAT IN Latitude 350N,THEN FIND THE LAT WHEN THE SUN
WILL BE ON THE OBSERVER’S PRIME VERTICAL ,EAST OF THE OBSERVER..
Q 13. IN LAT 30000’N LHATS 3300, AN OBSERVER NOTICED THE TRUE ALTITUDE AND TRUE
AZIMUTH OF SUN 700 AND 1500 RESPECTIVELY.FIND THE TRUE ALTITUDE OF SUN 5
HOURS LATER. (MMD Q JAN 2010 )
Q 14. IN WHAT LATITUDE WILL PERIOD OF NIGHT BE HALF OF THE PERIOD OF DAY LIGHT, IF
DECLINATION OF SUN IS 230 05’ N. (MMD Q JULY’19) 2ND BATCH
Q 15. THE CHANGE IN AZIMUTH OF THE SUN BETWEEN RISING AND CROSSING THE PRIME
VERTICAL OF A STATINARY OBSERVER IS 380 ,IF THE DECLINATION OF THE SUN IS 23027’
(S), FIND OBSERVER’S LATITUDE AND ALSO THE CHANGE OF HOUR ANGLE OF THE SUN
DURING THIS PERIOD. (MMD Q July ’18)
Q 16. A CIRCUMPOLAR STAR WITH LHA 2700 HAS AN ALTITUDE OF 450 10’ AND LATER ON
REACHING MAXIMUM AZIMUTH FOR THE SAME POSITION OF THE OBSERVER ,IT HAD
AN ALTITUDE OF 500 06’. FIND THE DECLn OF THE STAR. MMD Q APRIL-2019
Q 17. IN LATITUDE 500 S ,WHEN DECLINATION OF SUN IS 100 N.CALCULATE THE FOLLOWING :-
a) L.A.T AT SUN SET ii) DURATION OF CIVIL TEILIGHT MMD Q PAPER OCT 2018
Q 18. CALCULATE THE DURATION OF ASTRONOMICAL TWILIGHT IN LAT 350 N ON THE DAY OF
SPRING EQUINOX.
Q 19. CALCULATE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF A SUN AT GREENWICH SIDERIAL TIME 09h
21m 40s ,GIVEN SHA OF TRUE SUN 280010’ AND OBLIQUITY OF ECLIPTIC 230 26.7’ (MMD
Q OCT 2007)
Q 20. TWO STARS ‘X’ AND ‘Y’ ARE OBSERVED ON THE PRIME VERTICAL AT THE SAME
INSTANT.DECLINATION OF STAR ’X’ WAS 390 N AND DECLINATION OF STAR ‘Y’ WAS 310
30’ N.TRUE ALTITUDE OF STAR ‘X’ WAS TWICE THE T.ALT OF STAR ‘Y’. FIND THE
LATITUDE OF THE OBSERVER.
Q 21. FIND THE LATITUDE AT WHICH THE LONGEST DAY IS 5 HRS MORE THAN THE SHORTEST
DAY.
Q 22. TO AN OBSERVER IN NORTH LATITUDE A STAR (DECLINATION 190 13’ (N) BORE NORTH
WHEN ON THE MERIDIAN. IF THE TRUE ALTITUDE AT MAXIMUM AZIMUTH WAS 200 30’.
FIND THE OBSERVER’S LATITUDE.
Q 23. FIND THE RATIO OF THE PERIOD OF DARKNESS TO THE PERIOD OF DAYLIGHT IN LAT 500
07.8’N, WHEN SUN’S DECLINATION WAS 220 40’ S.

Q 24. TO AN OBSERVER THE SUN BORE 0900(T) WITH A TRUE ALTITUDE 41020’,WHEN IT HAD A
DECLINATION OF 100 12’ S AND GHA OF 500. FIND THE OBSERVER’S POSITION .

Q 25. ON A CERTAIN DAY ,THE SUNS RA WAS 05h 57m 04s WHEN THE GHA OF ARIES WAS
3430 53.4’. IF THE OBLIQUITY OF ECLIPTIC WAS 230 27’,FIND SUN’S G.P.

Q 26. FIND THE LOCAL APPARENT TIME OF THE END OF PM NAUTICAL TWILIGHT FOR AN
OBSERVER IN LATITUDE 550 N , WHEN THE DECLINATION OF SUN IS 180 N.

Q 27. TWO STARS ARE OBSERVED TO RISE SIMULTANEOUSLY TO AN OBSERVER IN LATITUDE

270 N.THE DECLINATION OF STAR ‘A’ IS 160 N AND THE SHA OF STAR ‘B’ IS 600 GREATER
THAN THAT OF STAR ‘A’ .FIND THE DECLINATION STAR ‘B’.

Q 28. FIND THE OBLIQUITY OF ECLIPTIC ON 13 TH OF OCTOBER 1992 AT 0600 HRS GMT.

Q 29. ON A CERTAIN DAY ‘X’ FIND THE GHA OF SUN AT 06OO GMT, IF ON THAT DAY
EQUATION OF TIME IS GIVEN AS FOLLOWS:-

DAY EQUATION OF TIME MER PASS TIME OF SUN (LMT)

0000 GMT 1200 GMT
‘X’ 13m42s 13m50s 11h 46 m

Q 30. ON A CERTAIN DAY AND TIME FIND THE GHA OF SUN IF ON THAT DAY AND TIME GHA
OF ARIES WAS 142008.0’;DECLINATION OF SUN 07054.5’ S AND OBLIQUITY OF ECLIPTIC
WAS 230 26.7’.
Q 31. A VESSEL SAILED FROM BOMBAY 18055’N,72050’E,AT 0220 IST,EQUATION OF TIME WAS
(-) 04m12s. COURSE WAS SET 2800(T), SPEED 20 KTS. FIND THE AMOUNT , THE CLOCKS
SHOULD BE ALTERED TO BE CORRECT FOR APPARENT NOON, NEXT DAY.
Q 32. FIND THE TRUE SUN’S SHA AT THE INSTANT WHEN THE FIRST POINT OF ARIES CROSSED
THE MERIDIAN OF 850 E, IF ON THAT DAY THE SUN’S GHA WAS 60012’, WHEN GHA OF
ARIES WAS 2550.
Q 33. IF THE EQUATION OF TIME WAS + 04m 06s, WHEN RAMS WAS 14h32m15s, CALCULATE
SUN’S DECLINATION.
Q 34. TWO VESSELS ,’A’ AND ‘B’ ARE ON THE PARALLEL OF 490 50’ N,’A’ IS STEERING 0900(T)
AND ‘B’ 2700(T) . AT NOON L.A.T BY B’S CLOCK THEY WERE 349 M APART,WHEN THEIR
CLOCKS WERE SET TO THE APPARENT TIME OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MERIDIANS.AT 2215
HRS BY B’S CLOCK THEY COLLIDE .WHAT WAS THE TIME BY A’S CLOCK ,NEITHER
HAVEING BEEN ALTERED SINCE NOON?
Q 35 A AND B ARE TWO OBSERVER 2640 MILES APART IN Lat 240 N, B BEING WEST WARD OF
A . THE SUN’S ZENITH DISTANCE ON A’S MERIDIAN WAS 250 16’.FIND THE BEARING OF
THE SUN FROM B AT THAT INSTANT.
Q 36 IF ON THE LONGEST DAY THE SUN’S CENTRE JUST TOUCHES THE RATIONAL HORIZON IN
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE WHEN ON THE MERIDIAN BELOW THE POLE, WHAT IS THE
OBSERVER’S LATITUDE.
Q 37. FROM A STATIONARY VESSEL AN OBSERVER HAVE MADE THE FOLLOWING
OBSERVATIONS OF A STAR :-
a) TRUE ALTITUDE WAS 450, WHEN LHA WAS 2700.
b) TRUE ALTITUDE WAS 600, WHEN MAXIMUM AZIMUTH OF SAME STAR WAS 450 (G).
FIND THE LATITUDE OF THE OBSERVER, DECLINATION OF THE STAR AND GYRO ERROR.

Q 38. For an observer the Sun had a GHA of 2400 38’ and SHA 2510 20’ when it
attained the altitude 690 30’, bearing North. Find the position of the
observer.
Q 39. Calculate the duration of civil twilight at 350 N Latitude on a summer
solstice day.
Q 40. On 19th January 1992 A.M in DR 300 09’N,0000 04’ W, an observation of
the sun gave an observed Longitude of 0000 03’( E) . Vessel then steered a
course of 0820 (T) ,distance 68 n.m through a current estimated to set 1800
(T) ,drift 11.4 n.m till the Meridian Passage of the sun. Compute the sextant
meridian Altitude of Sun’s Upper Limb to be set on the Sextant.( H.E:- 14 m
; I.E :- 2.5’ Off the arc.
Q 41. A STAR’S TRUE ALTITUDE AT THE NORTH POLE WAS 190 10’.IN WHAT
LATITUDES WOULD THE MERIDIAN ALTITUDE OF THE STAR BE DOUBLE OF
THIS .
Q 42. A VESSEL LEFT FREEMANTLE (LAT 320 03’ S, LONG:- 115044’ E AT 1700 HRS
STANDARD TIME ON JAN 11TH 1958.THE COURSE WAS SET 3180 (T), SPD:-16
KTS.FIND THE NECESSARY ALTERATION OF THE CLOCKS TO BE CORRECT
FOR APPARENT NOON THE FOLLOWING DAY.
EQUATION OF TIME MER PASS
DAY 0000 1200
10 07m 16s 07m 29s 12h 07m
11 07m 41s 07m 53s 12h08m
12 08m 05s 08m16s 12h08m

Q 43. AN OBSERVER IN NORTHERN HEMISPHERE IN JULY OBSERVES THE SUN

BEARING 0600(T) AT THE THEORETICAL SUNRISE AND DECLINATION 220 30’
N, VESSEL THEN STEERED A COURSE OF 2100(T) ,DISTANCE 100 n.m TILL
SUN SET,DECLINATION OF SUN CHANGED BY 5’.CALCULATE BEARING OF
THR SUN AT THE TIME OF THEORETICAL SUN SET.
Q 44. A VESSEL LEFT FREEMANTLE (LAT 320 03’ S, LONG:- 115044’ E) AT 1700 HRS
STANDARD TIME ON JAN 17TH 1992.THE COURSE WAS SET 3180 (T), SPD:-16
KTS.FIND THE NECESSARY ALTERATION OF THE CLOCKS TO BE CORRECTED
FOR APPARENT NOON THE FOLLOWING DAY.

ANS:-
Q 9. ANS:- Lat :-46003.85’ N ; LHA:- 790 53.2’
Q 10. ANS :- Lat:- 500 N and 300 S
Q 11. ANSWER:-Lat:- 520 42.85’ S ; Dec :- 190 15.9’ S
Q 12. ANSWER :- 07h 12.3m
Q 13. ANSWER : 440 49.5’
Q 14. ANS :- LAT :- 490 33.4’ N
Q 15. ANS:- LAT :- 490 43.9’ S; Change of Hour Angle :- 520 21.9’
Q 16. ANS :- 74002.4’N or S
Q 17. ANS :- i) 17h 11 m 29 s ii) 38m12s
Q 18. ANS :- 29m50s
Q 19. ANS:- LAT 230 07.0’ N LONG 600 58.1’ W
Q 20. ANS:- 40052.8’ N
Q 21. ANS:- 36032.4’ N OR S
Q 22. ANS:-060 37’N
Q 23. ANS :- D : N : : 1: 2
Q 24. ANS:- LAT :- 15033.2’(S) ; LONG:- 099043.4’(W)
Q 25. ANS:-LAT :- 230 26.9’N; LONG :- 1050 22.6’ (E)
Q 26. ANS:-21H 50M 40S
Q 27. ANS:- 56058.2’
Q 28. ANS:- 23026.4’
Q 29. ANS :-273026.6’
Q 30. ANS :-160048.9’
Q 31. ANS :- 48m 59 s.
Q 32. ANS :- 165008.7’
Q 33. ANS:-150 17.5’S
Q 34. ANS :--21 H 38 M 56 S.
Q 35. ANS :- 1110 22’
Q 36. ANSWER:- 660 33’ N.
Q 37. Answer :- Lat :- 510 29.65’ N, Decl :- 640 38.1’ N, T.AZ :- 43.50 (T) , G.E:- 1.50 (H).
Q 38. ANS:-Lat :- 010 50.5’ N, Long :- 1190 22’ E
Q 39. Answer :- 43 m 24 s.
Q 40. Answer:- 390 48.3’
Q 41. Answer:- 320 30’ S and 700 50’ N
Q 42. Answer :- Retd 41 mints.
Q 43. Answer:- 2990 12.8’(T)
Q 44. Answer: RETD BY 43.6 MINTS