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Celestial Navigation Slides
Celestial Navigation Slides
PhD
TRAIAN ATANASIU
CELESTIAL
NAVIGATION
t.atanasiu@yahoo.com
COURSE OBJECTIVE
SOLAR SYSTEM.
CELESTIAL SPHERE AND
ITS COMPONENT
ELEMENTS
Course structure
(Encyclopedia Britannica)
Spherical astronomy:
❖ provides the celestial coordinates of the bodies at
Greenwich meridian by means of Nautical
Almanac
(Encyclopedia Britannica)
Asteroids are grouped into two belts:
OUTER PLANETS
3. 4. 6.
5. (SUPERIOR) 7. 8.
Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
JUPITER
URANUS
MARS
EARTH
MERCURY
NEPTUNE
VENUS SATURN
too small
1.Mercury too close to the Sun
2.Venus Luceafărul
3.Earth we're on it
Planets of the
solar system:
4.Mars
(from the Sun)
5.Jupiter
Nautical
planets
6.Saturn
too far
7.Uranus
too far
8.Neptune
1.2. CELESTIAL SPHERE AND ITS
COMPONENT ELEMENTS
1.2.1. Celestial Spehere Description
Why a sphere?
VISIBLE HEMISPHERE
E Q’
pN
q´
N q
S
Op S
Cardinal Celestial
line N-S W horizon
Q Celestial
INVISIBLE HEMISPHERE
equator
Prime
vertical
PS
Looking to the NORTH the
Na EAST is on the RIGHT!
❖ celestial sphere center - the Earth center
❖ celestial sphere radius - the limit of the
observer's sight
❖ observer’s celestial meridian – a great circle
formed by the intersection of the plane of
observer’s terrestrial meridian with celestial
sphere
❖ vertical line (plumb line) or Zenith-Nadir line -
the line which joins the center of the Earth with the
observer’s location
❖ Zenit - the point where the vertical line intersects
the celestial sphere
❖ Nadir – the point opposite to Zenith.
❖ the observer’s celestial horizon – intersection
between celestial sphere and a plane which is
perpendicular on the vertical line and passes
through the center of the celestial sphere
❖ visible hemisphere - the hemisphere situated
above the horizon and which contains the Zenith
❖ invisible hemisphere - the hemisphere situated
under the horizon and which contains the Nadir
❖ celestial poles axis – extension of geographical
poles axis – The World Axis
❖ celestial poles – intersection of the World Axis
with celestial sphere.
❖ elevated pole – the celestial pole located above
the celestial horizon (inside visible hemisphere)
❖ depressed pole – the celestial pole located under
the celestial horizon (inside invisible hemisphere)
❖ celestial equator – the intersection of the celestial
sphere with a plan which is perpendicular on the
World Axis and which passes through the center
of celestial sphere
❖ prime vertical circle – a circle perpendicular on
the celestial horizon which contains the cardinal
line E-W and the vertical line
❖ local latitude – the angle between celestial
horizon and celestial equator.
Z PNOQ '& ZOS have ⊥ sides
PN
They are equal
Q’
pN E
q´
N O
q
S
pS
W Celestial
horizon
Q
Celestial
equator PS
Na
PN
1turn/
NORTHERN CELESTIAL HEMISPHERE year
pN
Q q q´
Q’
O
pS
Celestial
equator
Ecliptic
SOUTHERN CELESTIAL HEMISPHERE
PS
❖ northern celestial hemisphere – the hemisphere
located above the celestial equator; it contains the
north celestial pole
Vernal Point
The first Point of ARIES PS
❖ equinoxial points – the intersection points of the
ecliptic with the celestial equator - equinoxes
➢ Vernal Point (The First Point of Aries) – March 21
– spring equinox – days and nights are equal - the
Sun passes through the Aries Constellation
➢ Autumnal Point – September 22 – autumnal
equinox - days and nights are equal – the Sun
passes through the Libra Constellation (Scale)
ε’ 23°27´N
TheTropic of Cancer
pN
Q q q´
Q’
O
pS
23°27´S
ε
The Tropic of Capricorn
PS
❖ the equinoxes axis – the line joining the Vernal
Point with Autumnal Point
ε’
23°27´
66°33´N
pN
Q q q´
Q’
O
pS
23°27´
ε
Solstices
axis
Austral Circle
66°33´S
PA
PS
❖ solstices axis – the line joining the two solsticeal
points
CELESTIAL
NAVIGATION!
Cursul 2
CELESTIAL COORDINATE
SYSTEMS
Course structure:
P (a,b)
S N
O
Z
A’
Na
❖ zenith angle of the body (Ẑ) = sferical angle at
the zenith or the arc of horizon between the
observer’s celestial meridian containing the
elevated pole and the vertical circle of heavenly
body
S N
O
Zn
A’
Aways clockwise!!!
Na
❖ azimuth of the body (Zn) - the arc of horizon
always measured clockwise from the cardinal point
NORTH to the vertical circle of the body
A’
Na
❖ altitude of the body (h) - arc of the vertical circle
between the observer’s celestial horizon and the
parallel of altitude of the sighted body
❖ it takes values from 0 to 90
A’
Na
❖ zenith distance (ZD) - arc of the vertical circle
between the Zenith point and the parallel of
altitude of the sighted body
ZD = 90° - h
2.2. EQUATORIAL COORDINATE
SYSTEM
References:
❖ axis - celestial poles axis (World Axis)
❖ plane - celestial equator
Equatorial oordinates:
➢ meridian angle (t)
➢ local hour angle of the body (LHA)
➢ meridian angle of the body at Greenwich (GHA)
➢ declination ( Dec)
➢ polar distance (PD)
SPHERICAL EQUATORIAL
➢ sideral hour angle (SHA) COORDINATES
➢ right asscension (RA). (They are measured from the
celestial equator)
2.2.1. The Meridian Angle of the Body (t)
Z
The observer’s
celestial meridian
t PN
A The meridian
upper branch Q
angle of the body
t
The World
A” Axis
O
Parallel of
The hour circle declination
of the body
Q’
PS
The celestial
Na equator
❖ upper branch of the observer’s celestial
meridian – part of the observer’s celestial
meridian which contains the Zenith point
❖ naming:
➢ tE - if the body is within eastern hemisphere
➢ tW - if the body is within western hemisphere.
2.2.2. The Local Hour Angle of the Body (LHA)
Z
The observer’s
celestial meridian PN
A
upper branch Q
The hour angle
of the body
A”
O
LHA Parallel of
The hour circle declination
of the body A’ Q’
PS
The celestial
Na equator
❖ Local Hour Angle (LHA) - the arc of celestial
equator measured clockwise between the upper
branch of the observer’s celestial meridian and the
heavenly body hour circle
LHA =GHA +
The size of GHA is extracted from
BROWNS’ NAUTICAL ALMANAC.
The Correspondence between Meridian
Angle (t) and Local Hour Angle (LHA)
Observer’s Celestial Q tW Semicircular (000°-180°)
Celestial
tE A1
equator
Zenith
Semicircular
E PN
W
LHA2 Circular (000°-360°)
Local Hour
A2 Meridian Angle
Angle
(t )
(LHA)
LHA 180 tW = LHA
Q’ LHA 180 tE = 360 − LHA
2.2.3. The Sidereal Angle of the Body (SHA)
PN Parallel of
declination
The hour circle of
the body A
ε’
Q Q’
A”
?
O
ε (SHA)
The Vernal Point
The First Point of ARIES
PS
❖ Sideral Hour Angle (SHA) - arc of celestial
equator measured from The First Point of Aries
ALWAIS CLOCKWISE to the hour circle of the
body
SHA + RA = 360
2.2.4. Declination of the body (δ, dec)
PN Parallel of
declination
A
Declination of
the body
Q Q’
O
A”
PS
❖ declination (dec) – the arc of hour circle between
celestial equator and the heavenly body parallel of
declination
A”
PS
❖ polar distance (PD) - arc of hour circle between
celestial elevate pole and the heavenly body
parallel of declination
❖ Its values range from 00 through 180
PD = 90 - δ .