GEODESY

SPHERICAL TRIANGLE
ZENITH
Z (Z) Z y
CO - LATITUDE (y)

z
ZENITH DISTANCE (z)
t
P
p
POLAR DISTANCE (p)
POLEP( P )

STAR
S(S)
LOOKING FROM THE NORTH POLE...
LOCAL HOUR ANGLE
SIDEREAL HOUR ANGLE
GREENWICH HOUR ANGLE

AN
DI
LONGITUDE OF THE PLACE

RI
ME
RIGHT ASCENSION

CHI
NW
EE
GR

If the star is east of the observer’s

UPPER BRANCH meridian,

t = 360 - LHA

If the star is west of the observer’s

meridian,

t = LHA
 DEFINITIONS…
P – North Celestial Pole
Z – Zenith
S – Star (celestial body)

z – Zenith Distance ( 90 – altitude)

p – Polar Distance ( 90 – declination)
y – Co-latitude ( 90 – latitude)

t – meridian angle
Z – true azimuth of the celestial body
S – parallactic angle (a not-so-very-important angle)
In surveying, the PZS Triangle is solved in
connection with determinations of azimuth (Z)
and the solution involves spherical
trigonometry.
SOLVING FOR Z
 Azimuth of a Celestial Body
When the body is EAST of the observer’s meridian:
NORTH

Z is clockwise from North and the

azimuth is equal to 180 + Z
Z
If cos Z is positive, Z is 0 < 90

If cos Z is negative, Z is 90 < 180

 Azimuth of a Celestial Body
When the body is WEST of the observer’s meridian:
NORTH

Z is counter clockwise from North

and the azimuth is equal to 180 - Z
Z
If cos Z is positive, Z is 0 < 90

If cos Z is negative, Z is 90 < 180

 SOLVING FOR t

t is the hour angle before or after culmination

 Problem 1
A stellar observation was made to determine the
azimuth of a line AB by observing an altitude of a star
to be 29-11-36 (star bearing to the east). The latitude of
the place of observation P1 was found to be 13-48-27
and the declination of the star at the instant of
observation was -03-14-49.

a.) Determine the true azimuth of the star.

b.) If an angle of 67-18-37 was measured from B to
the star, determine the azimuth of line AB
 SOLUTION
d = -03-14-49
 = 13-48-27
h = 29-11-36
 SOLUTION

cos Z = sin (-03-14-49) – sin(13-48-27)sin (29-11-36)

cos(13-48-27)cos (29-11-36)

cos Z = -0.2041258371

Z= 101.7783312
Z= 101-46-41.99
 Az of the star = 180 + 101-46-41.99
= 281-46-41.99
NORTH
B

Z 67-18-37

Az of Line AB = Azimuth of the star – 67-18-37

= 281-46-41.99 – 67-18-37
= 214-28-4.99