Nautical

Astronomy
Capt Sukhjit Singh
AY – 2022 - 2023
Outline

• Stellar Magnitude
• The Ecliptic system
• Equinoctial system
• Horizon system
• Geographical position
Stellar Magnitude

• The absolute magnitude of a star is a measure of the

actual amount of light emitted by it.
• The apparent magnitude of a star is a measure of the
brightness of that star as observed from the earth.
• The magnitude number of stars decreases as their
apparent brightness increases the increase in apparent
brightness is a logarithmic proportion to the decrease in
their magnitude number.
• For instance, a second magnitude star is much brighter
than a third magnitude star as the third magnitude star is
brighter than a fourth magnitude star and so on.
 The Ecliptic System
• The co-ordinates used are celestial latitude and
celestial longitude.
• The reference great circles being the Ecliptic and
the secondary ecliptic passing through the First
Point of Aries.
• Celestial latitude of a body is the arc of the
secondary to the ecliptic (passing through the
body) contained between the Ecliptic and the
body. Celestial latitudes are measured from 0
degrees to 90 degrees North or South of the
Ecliptic.
• Celestial longitude of a body is the arc of the
Ecliptic contained between the first point of Aries
and secondary to the ecliptic through that body
measured eastwards from Aries.

The ecliptic system is not commonly used by navigators.

Equinoctial system
• In this system the reference great circles
are:
• the Equinoctial and
• the celestial Meridian through the first point of
Aries or the celestial Meridian of Greenwich or
the celestial Meridian of the observer.
• The coordinates used are
• declination and
• hour angle (sidereal hour angle when
measured from the celestial Meridian of first
point of Aries) (greenwich hour angle when
measured from that of Greenwich) (local hour
angle when measured from that of the
observer).
SHA – Sidereal Hour Angle

SHA – Sidereal Hour Angle off a celestial body is the arc of the Equinoctial or the angle at
the celestial pole contained between the celestial Meridian of the first point of Aries and
that through the body measured westward from Aries.
 RA – Right Ascension
• RA – Right ascension of a off a celestial
body is the arc of the equinoctial or the
angle at the celestial poles contained
between the celestial Meridian of the
first point of Aries and that through the
body measured eastward from Aries.
• RA may be expressed in hours minutes
and seconds instead of in arc.
• It should be noted that since SHA is
measured westward, and RA is measured
eastward from the same point, the SHA
and RA of any body will together always
add up to 360°.
 GHA – Greenwich Hour Angle
• GHA of a celestial body is the arc of
the equinoctial or the angle at the
celestial poles between the celestial
Meridian of Greenwich and that of
the body measured westward from
Greenwich.
 LHA – Local Hour Angle
• LHA of a celestial body is the arc of
the equinoctial or the angle at the
celestial poles between the observer’s
celestial Meridian and the celestial
meridian through the body, measured
westward from the observer.
• If the angle or arc is measured
eastward from the observer, it is
known as the easterly our angle (EHA)
and not LHA. It can therefore be seen
that the LHA of a body equals
• LHA = 360° - EHA
 Horizon System
• This system the reference great circles are the
observer’s rational or celestial horizon, his celestial
meridian.
• The coordinates used are altitude or zenith
distance and azimuth.
• The observer’s celestial or rational horizon is a
great circle on the celestial sphere every point on
which is 90° away from his zenith.
• True altitude of a body is the arc of the vertical
circle through that body contained between the
rational horizon and center of the body.
• Zenith distance of a body is the arc of the vertical
circle through the body contained between the
observer's zenith and the center of the body.
• Zenith distance = 90° - Altitude
• Azimuth of a celestial body is the arc of the
observer's rational horizon or the angle at the
zenith contained between the observer's celestial
meridian and the vertical through that body.
Observed Altitude and True Azimuth of a star
in the Horizon Coordinate System
Use of Equinoctial and Horizon System
• The co-ordinates of the position of a celestial body defined using the
horizon system would vary depending on the observer's position on
the earth because its altitude and azimuth at any instant would have
different values when measured from different positions on the Earth.
• The Nautical Almanac therefore lists the position of celestial bodies
using Equinoctial system by tabulating the Declination and GHA or
SHA of the Celestial bodies.
• In celestial navigation where determination of the observer’s position
is the prime objective, the problem is solved by correlating the
coordinates of a celestial body in the Equinoctial system, with those
on the Horizon system for the instant at which the altitude of the
body was observed.
 Geographical position (GP)
• The position of the celestial body is the
position on the surface of the earth
vertically beneath that body i.e. the point
at which a straight line from the center of
the earth to the celestial body meets the
Earth's surface.
• The GP being on the earth surface is
always expressed in terms of latitude and
longitude.
• Since the center of the celestial sphere is
the Earth center and as the Equator and
Equinoctial are the in the same plane the
latitude of a celestial body geographical
position is equal to the body's declination
the longitude of its GP corresponds to its
GHA.
Let’s see how
we can use it
in practice
Relationships between Hour Angles
Relationships between Hour Angles
Relationships between Hour Angles
Understanding the Hour angle relationships
1. Calculate the LHA of a star whose RA is 70° , for an observer in longitude
47° E, when GHA Aries is 210 °.
2. To an observer the sun’s LHA was 290 ° when it's GHA was 40 °. Find the
observer’s longitude.
3. On a certain day in longitude 35 ° W, the Moon’s LHA was 335 ° when
GHA Aries was 263°. Find the SHA of the Moon.
4. The Planet Venus was on the meridian of an observer in Longitude 63 ° E.
If the RA of Venus at that instant was 87 ° , find the GHA of a star, the
SHA of which then was 162 °.
5. State the GP of the Moon, when its GHA= 242° and Dec 22° S.
6. What is the GP of the First point of Aries, when LHA Aries was 112° for an
observer in longitude 20° E.
Questions