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Tərtib edən: Osmanov Elçin

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Subject : Marine Astronomy

Mövzu 21 Methods for determining the position of a ship separately

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Plan

- Determining Latitude by Polaris Altitude

- Determining a location from the meridional altitude of the Sun

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Determining Latitude by Polaris Altitude
Methods for determining the coordinates φ0 or λ0 of a location separately
represent special cases of the solution of the navigational isoline equation:
sin h0 = sin φ sin δ + cos φ cos δcos (tgr ± λ E/W).

With one measured h it is only possible to determine φ0 (if the luminary nea r the meridian)
or λ0 (if the luminary is near the first vertical), i.e. these methods are limited.
At present only the methods of determining the latitude of the ship's position by the meridional
altitude of the sun, and the determination of the latitude by the Polar altitude, are in use. Both
methods are used in combination with ALP.
Rationale for the method. The elevation of the elevated pole is equal to the geographic latitude
of the observer. Therefore, if any star were located at the elevated pole, its altitude, corrected by
necessary corrections, would represent the surveyed latitude of the vessel. Neither in the
northern nor in the southern half of the celestial sphere are there any such stars. Near the north
pole of the world, however, is the star a of the Little Bear, appropriately named Polaris. This star
has an inclination of 89°N, i.e. its polar distance is less than 1°. As a consequence, in its diurnal
movement the star describes a parallel with a small spherical radius Δ*=51' (Fig. 1). At the
moments of upper and lower culmination (points a and a') its altitude differs from the observer's
latitude by Δ*. Twice a day, when the Polar almucantarate passes through PN, the difference
between φ0 and h* is reversed to zero. On all other occasions
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φ= h* ±
0 х,
where x is the correction to Polaris' altitude, which is the difference between the altitude of
the star at any given moment and the altitude of the elevated pole

To calculate the correction x, draw the meridian PNC and the almucantarat bb' through the
place of star C. Taking the obtained triangle PNCB as small as flat, we can write
Х=Δ* cos tm*.

tm* from the basic time formula

after substituting tm*,

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The coordinates of the star Δ* and a* change only slightly. Therefore

-replace their magnitudes by the mean values of Δo and ao. Then
Х= Δо cos(Sм - ао)
The formula shows that x is a function of only one variable Sm. The formula was used to
calculate Table 1, Latitude by Altitude Polar, placed in MAE. From this table, the first (main)
correction to Polar Altitude is selected using the argument Sm.
In deriving the formula we have made two assumptions: the PNCB triangle is assumed to be
flat; instead of the current values Δ* and a* their mean annual values are taken. Therefore a
second correction to the Polar height is additionally chosen from Table 2 to account for the
sphericity of the triangle, and a third correction is chosen from Table 3 to account for the
difference between the annual mean and the current values of Δ* and a*. The arguments
for the entries in Table 2 are Sm and h, in Table 3 Sm and the observation date.
The tables give an indication of the correction signs.
 
The final surveyed latitude of the location is calculated by the formula

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Practical implementation
Determining latitude by the altitude of Polaris is possible when sailing at latitudes between
5N and 75° N, but it is practical to observe the star at altitudes no higher than 70°.
Observations are made in evening or morning twilight when the horizon is clearly marked.
The sequence of operations in determining φ0 is as follows.
 
 1. Measure three to five heights of Polaris, noting moments on a chronometer.
2. Note Tc, Ol and, if necessary, air temperature and pressure.
Calculations.
1. Calculate OScr and Txhgcr.
Correct the COPcr by all corrections, obtaining h.
Calculate approximate and exact Txgr. Select from MAE

Sм=t . м

2. Select from MAE I, II and III the corrections to the respective arguments with their signs.
3. Obtain the surveyed latitude by the formula

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Analyse the accuracy of the latitude obtained. The error in the calculated latitude will
be equal to the errors made in the altitude measurement. The influence of random
observational errors is reduced by measuring three to five heights of the star and then
averaging them. Note that the altitudes of Polaris change very slowly.
Example. 20 March 1981, Mediterranean Sea, Tc=05h55"; ol=70.5 miles. Finding
φc=33°50,O' N and λc=23°30,O' E, measured three Polaris heights, noting moments
on chronometer: OScr, =33°27,6'; i+s= -1.5'; Txp=03h50-40s;. Uxp= +3"44s; e=8m;
t= +9° C; B=755mm. Determine φ0.

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The surveyed latitude parallel can be shifted in both directions by the amount of
systematic error Δh in order to obtain an idea of the position band.
 
When it is convenient to observe Polaris in combination with other stars or planets when
determining the ship's position at dusk, the surveyed latitude parallels obtained from its
height can replace one of the position lines.

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Determining a location from the meridional altitude of the Sun

Rationale for the method

At meridional altitudes (75° and above), the Sun's azimuth near the culmination changes so
rapidly that it is possible to obtain not only the latitude but also the surveyed longitude of
one's location around noon. The principle of determining coordinates from such altitudes is
shown below.

Latitude determination. In the method under consideration, the observed latitude is

determined by the meridional (highest) altitude of the Sun. This is obtained as usual when
determining φ0 by the method chosen from a series of heights measured near the moment
of culmination in the interval between the corresponding heights. The correction Δφ, which
takes into account the difference between the highest and the meridional altitude, is not
taken into account at low latitudes and
the latitude is obtained by the formula
φ0 = Z ± δ.

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The determination of longitude. At the moment the Sun passes through the meridian of
the observer, when its tm=0°, the Greenwich hour angle of the luminary turns out to be
equal to the western longitude of the place. This follows from the formula
tʘgr = tʘm +λW
wherefrom at tm=0° λw= tʘgr
The value of tʘgr can thus be obtained from the MAE at T gr,
observed at the time of the occurrence of true noon.
Obtaining longitude by the scheme considered is complicated by the difficulty of fixing
the moment of the Sun's passage through the meridian. Therefore, to determine λo, a
method has been proposed in which, in order to obtain T gr the onset of true noon, the
moments of measurement of the two so-called corresponding altitudes are observed.

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The essence of the method is as follows. Assume that the ship is stationary and the
declination of the sun does not change. In this case the diurnal path of the Sun is
symmetrical in relation to the meridian of the observer (see fig. a).
Let's measure the Sun's height h some time before the culmination and note on the
chronometer the moment T'r. When the Sun's height after the culmination will again be
equal to h, note the moment T'r. Now

will correspond to the moment of true noon, and the Greenwich hour angle of the Sun, tʘgr,
chosen from
MAE at Tgrgr the Greenwich hour angle of the Sun tʘgr is numerically equal to the western
longitude of the observer.

In practice, due to the movement of the ship and changes in the declination
of the Sun, the diurnal path of the luminary will not be symmetrical relative to the meridian
of the observer, but relative to the highest altitude (see Fig. b).

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In this case the Sun will reach its highest altitude some time before or after the true noon.
If under these real conditions we measure two equal corresponding altitudes h on either
side of the meridian, noting the moments on the chronometer, then the average
Greenwich observation time Tgr sr will no longer correspond to true noon, but to the
moment of the Sun's highest altitude.
As a consequence the Greenwich hour angle of the Sun, chosen from the MAE by Tgr sr,
will not equal the observer's longitude, as at that moment tʘm is not equal to zero.
To obtain λ0 it turns out necessary to bring tʘgr to true noon, for which purpose a
correction equal to the local hour angle of the Sun at the moment of its highest altitude is
introduced.
The correction is calculated by the formula
τ' = (3,82 tg ϕ - 3,82tg δ) (Δ'-ѱ')
Correction τ' has a minus sign if the luminary reaches its greatest height before the
culmination and a plus sign if its greatest height is after the culmination.
In obtaining λo the correction must algebraically

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A peculiarity of this method of determining longitude is that λo is obtained at a considerable

distance of the Sun from the first vertical. To reduce the influence on the accuracy of the
obtained longitude of random errors of measurement of the corresponding heights it is
necessary to make observations at least in azimuths of 20-30° on both sides of the meridian.
As for systematic errors of observers, they are excluded since the heights themselves do not
participate in calculations but serve only for fixing T'xr and T "xr.
Practical implementation
The following procedure may be used to determine the position from the meridional heights
of the Sun order of operation.

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Preparing for the observations.

1. Calculate Tc of the Sun's upper culmination by pre-calculating λc for noon.
Using the BAC-58 tables, calculate the ship's exit time
2. for first and third observations given azimuth differences from meridian of 20-30°
Tc1=Tc-ΔT; Tc3=Tc +ΔT.
3. Prepare sextant and chronometer for observations.

Observations.
1. At the moment Tc calculated for the first observations, measure osʘ1 and note Txp1. 2.
(2) At about the moment Tc of the Sun's culmination, measure a series of heights to obtain
its greatest height, osʘ2 . Note Tc and os.
3. About the time Tc3 , set the sextant to
oʘ1 , and note the moment Txr3 when the twice reflected image of the Sun, descending,
touches the horizon,

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Calculations.

1. Calculate .

2. Using the TGRsr, obtain tʘgr and λʘ using the MAE.

3. Correct the count of the Sun's highest altitude oʘ2 with all corrections.
4. Using the obtained highest altitude as the meridional altitude, calculate

5. Calculate with its sign the hour angle of the Sun at the moment of its highest altitude
τ.
6. Obtain the observed longitude according to the formulas:

The calculated surveyed coordinates refer to the moment when the Sun reaches its highest
altitude.
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