PLANETS AND STARS

• PLANETS - 09 IN NOS
• RHYME / NEMONIC FOR REMEMBERANCE

“My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us

Nine Planets .”

• Mercury , Venus , Earth , Mars , Jupiter,

• Saturn , Uranus , Neptune , Pluto .
POLARIS – POLE STAR – NORTH STAR
Polaris ( the POLE STAR ) is the name given
to the second magnitude star which lies close
to the north celestial pole in the celestial
sphere.
Approximately not exactly the saying as follows
“ ALTITUDE OF POLARIS IS THE LATITUDE
OF THE OBSERVER “
However due to Polaris declination is 89 deg
and therefore it describes a small circle of
approximately 1 deg radius on celestial
sphere.
 POLE STAR - POLARIS - NORTH STAR.
• Polaris had the declination +89°19′8″
Therefore, it always appears due north in
the sky to a precision better than one
degree,
• Its ALTITUDE after corrections is equal
to the latitude of the observer to better
than one degree.
• The celestial pole will be nearest Polaris in
2100 AD , and will thereafter become more
 STELLAR MAGNITUDES
• it is customary to classify stars according to the
amount of light received from them .
• Each star is given a magnitude or measure of its
relative brightness .
• Hipparchus and Ptolemy who arbitrarily graded the
stars into six magnitudes.
• Sir John H in 1830 AD, that a first magnitude star is
100 times brighter then sixth magnitude star.
• the sun’s magnitude - ( minus ) - 26.7 and the
full moon is -12.5 .
• the first mag is 2.51 times brighter than second
mag star.
 Zero Numerals of Values
Indian system Western system
• 01 LAKH = 1, 00, 000 • 01 MILLION = 1, 000,000
• ( 5 ZEROES ) ( 06 ZEROES ) .
• 01 CRORE = 1, 00 , 00,000
• 01 BILLION = 1, 000, 000, 000
• ( 7 ZEROES )
( 9 ZEROES )
1 ARAB = 1, 000,000,000
( 09 ZEROES ) 01 TRILLION =
1 KHARAB / KALPAM = 1, 000, 000, 000 , 000
1,000,000,000,000 ( 12 ZEROES )
 Stellar magnitudes - planets
• Venus - 67,000,000 miles
• Earth - 93,000,000 miles
• Mars - 142,000,000 miles
• Jupiter - 483,000,000 miles
• Saturn - 886,000,000 miles.
• Venus lies between the Earth and the Sun - inferior
planet.
• Venus Magnitude varies - 3.4, no other star or planet
so brilliant.
• Venus is called morning or evening planet , since it is
not more than 47 deg from the sun , it can not be
viewed from temperate latitudes of earth throughout
 Stellar magnitudes - planets
• MARS - MAGNITUDE - 0.2 VARIES APPRECIABLY
IN BRILLIANCE , EASILY DISTINGUISHED BY
REDDISH LIGHT.

• JUPITER - MAG - 2.2 AND RANKS NEXT TO

VENUS IN BRILLIANCE.

• SATURN - MAG + 1.4 , IS NOT READILY

IDENTIFIED.
MAGNITUDE OF STARS AND PLANETS
• Magnitude is a unitless measure of the BRIGHTNESS
of STARS AND PLANETS in a defined BAND , often
in the VISIBLE or INFRARED spectrum, but
sometimes across all wavelengths.
• THE SCALE IS LOGARITHMIC
• For example, a magnitude 1 star is exactly 100
times brighter than a magnitude 6 star. The
brighter an object appears, the lower the value of
its magnitude, with the brightest objects reaching
negative values.
Polaris - pole star
- URSA MINOR

IN INDIA WE
CALL IT
DHURUV
NATCHATIRAM .

Hook type end

indicates Polaris
star.
POLARIS -
URSA MAJOR -
the great bear / the
plough
SAPTHA RISHI
MANDALAM INDICATES
THE DHURUV - POLARIS
FOR IDENTIFICATION .

The pointers
shows the Polaris
- north star -
pole star
MAGNITUDE SCALE
The scale appears to
work 'in reverse', with
objects with a negative
magnitude being brighter
than those with a
positive magnitude. The
more negative the value,
the brighter the object.
Thus zero appears in the
middle, with the
brightest objects on the
far left, and the dimmest
objects on the far right.
 POLARIS TABLES - NAUTICAL ALMANAC
• TRUE ALTITUDE OF POLARIS = LHA ARIES + CONSTANT
( SHA POLARIS ) .
• LATITUDE = TRUE ALTITUDE + a0 + a1+ a2 – 01 DEG.
• USING THE POLARIS TABLES , ENTER WITH LHA,
LATITUDE, MONTH a0 , a1, a2 ARE TAKEN OUT . as
arguments for cross reference and values
of
• THE SUM OF THESE CONSTANTS ARE 01 DEG .

• APPLY THE FORMULAE AND OBTAIN THE LATITUDE.

 Procedure for using Polaris tables
• Consult nautical almanac of the year.
• 1. Correct the Sextant Altitude .
• 2. From deck watch time work out the
LHA - Local Hour Angle of Aries. Great
accuracy not required since maximum
change of ao , per degree is 1’.0. it is
therefore sufficient to work to the nearest
minute of time.
• 3. with the LHA Aries , take out the ao ,
a1,a2 interpolating as necessary.
 Procedure for using Polaris tables

• 4. Enter the second table in the same

coloumn with the latitude ( nearest
tabulated value ) , and take out a1.
• 5. Enter the third table in the same
coloumn with the month , take out
a2.
• 6. Add ao, a1 , a2, to the True Altitude
and subtract 01 deg . The result is the
LATITUDE.
POLARIS TABLES
LATITUDE =
APPARENT
ALTITUDE
CORRECTED FOR
REFRACTION
( True altitude )
+ ao +a1+ a2 –
01 deg
POLARIS POSITION LINE
POLARIS SEXTANT
ALTITUDE CORRECTED
FOR INDEX ERROR AND
DIP , APPARENT DR 15h 48 m ( + 2 )
ALTITUDE OBTAINED
AND FURTHER 62 deg 11’N
CORRECTED TO RESULT 30 deg 47‘ W
IN TRUE ALTITUDE.

LATITUDE = TRUE
ALTITUDE + a0 + a1 + a2
– 1 deg 62 deg 09. ‘2 N 1.8

Astro Position line two arrows

 OBSERVATION OF POLARIS AT TWILIGHT
• 1. POLARIS is not a bright star.
its magnitude + 2.1 .
2. It is not visible to the naked eye , until
Horizon is indistinct. ( when sun is 6 deg below
visible horizon )
3. An effective way to overcome this problem
subtract a0 from DR latitude and add 01 deg.
4. If this approximate altitude is set on sextant
arc , the star will be seen easily by naked eye .
5. Shooting the star to the level of Horizon, which
is good .
Azimuth of Polaris - GYRO ERROR CHECK
• Azimuth can not be GREATER THAN 180 degrees.
• Azimuth can also be measured from the points north or
south along the celestial horizon, just as the d. long can
be expressed either as an angle at the pole or angular
distance along the Equator.
• POLARIS STAR - TABLE PROVIDES AZIMUTH BEARING IN
ITS RESPECTIVE COLOUMN ACROSS THE DR LATITUDE.
• Example 1 - N 002 E - TRUE BEARING - 002 DEGREES
• If the gyro compass of the ship reads 003
deg , therefore the gyro is 01 deg high .
• EXAMPLE 2 - N 001.5 W - TRUE BRG - 358.5 DEG