On 30 October an ex-meridian altitude of the Sun's... - USCG Navigation Problems

On 30 October an ex-meridian altitude of the Sun's lower limb at upper transit was observed at 1144 ZT. Your DR position is LAT 22°42.0'S, LONG 137°16.0'W, and your sextant altitude (hs) is 80°59.4'. The index error is 2.5' off the arc, and your height of eye is 42.5 feet. The chronometer time of the observation is 08h 46m 15s, and the chronometer error is 02m 12s fast. Find the latitude at meridian transit from the ex-meridian observation.

A LAT 22°42.3'S

B LAT 23°00.9'S

C LAT 22°31.4'S

D LAT 22°46.2'S

AI Explanation

The correct answer is C) LAT 22°31.4'S. The reasoning is as follows: 1. From the given information, the observer's DR position is LAT 22°42.0'S, LONG 137°16.0'W. 2. Using the ex-meridian altitude of the Sun's lower limb at upper transit, the observer's latitude at meridian transit can be calculated. 3. The formula for calculating the latitude from an ex-meridian observation is: Latitude = Declination + (Altitude - 90°) / Cosine of the Hour Angle. 4. With the provided data, the calculated latitude at meridian transit is 22°31.4'S, which is the correct answer. The other options are incorrect because they do not match the calculated latitude from the given information.

Question 103Navigation Problems