Question 1706Navigation General

The correct answer is D) about 16 minutes. The maximum difference between mean time and apparent time is about 16 minutes. This is because the apparent solar day, which is the time between two successive transits of the sun across the meridian, is slightly longer than the mean solar day, which is the average length of all solar days. This difference is caused by the obliquity of the ecliptic, which means that the sun's apparent path across the sky is not exactly parallel to the celestial equator. The maximum difference between mean time and apparent time occurs around the solstices, when the sun's declination is at its greatest. The other answer choices are incorrect because: A) The longitude expressed in time units is not the same as the maximum difference between mean time and apparent time. B) 15° of arc is not the correct value for the maximum difference. C) The difference between the GHA of the mean sun and the first point of Aries is not the same as the maximum difference between mean time and apparent time.