EARTH

THE EARTH IS A SPHEROID HAVING AN

EQUATORIAL DIAMETER 7926.7 STATUTE MILES
& POLAR DIAMETER 7899.5 STATUTE MILES.
AXIS: THE DIAMETER ABOUT WHICH THE EARTH ROTATES IN A COUNTER
CLOCKWISE DIRECTION.

• POLES: THE POINTS WHERE THE EARTH’S AXIS MEETS THE EARTH
SURFACE, NAMED NORTH POLE & SOUTH POLE

GREAT CIRCLE: A CIRCLE WHOSE PLANE PASSES THROUGH THE CENTRE OF THE
EARTH
SMALL CIRCLE: A CIRCLE WHOSE PLANE DOES NOT PASS THROUGH THE CENTRE
OF THE EARTH

EQUATOR : A GREAT CIRCLE DIVIDING THE EARTH INTO TWO HEMISPHERES;

NORTH & SOUTH

• LATITUDE: SMALL CIRCLES PARALLEL TO THE EQUATOR AND NUMBERED

0° TO 90° FOLLOWED BY THE RESPECTIVE HEMISPHERE
• LONGITUDE / MERIDIAN: SEMI GREAT CIRCLE JOINING THE TWO POLES
AND NUMBERED FROM THE PRIME OR GREENWICH MERIDIAN 0° TO 180° EAST
OR WEST

PRIME MERIDIAN: MERIDIAN PASSING THROUGH GREENWICH.

POSITION OF A PLACE:
LATITUDE 0 ° TO 90° N/ S
LONGITUDE 0 ° TO 180 ° E / W

NAUTICAL ASTRONOMY
CELESTIAL SPHERE: A SPHERE OF INFINITE RADIUS HAVING THE SAME CENTRE
AS THE EARTH’S CENTRE

CELESTIAL POLE: THE POINTS ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE WHERE THE AXIS OF
THE EARTH MEETS THE CELESTIAL SPHERE

EQUINOCTIAL: A GREAT CIRCLE ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE IN THE SAME PLANE

AS THE EARTH’S EQUATOR.

PARALLEL OF DECLINATION: SMALL CIRCLES ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE

PARALLEL TO THE EQUINOCTIAL

CELESTIAL MERIDIANS: SEMI GREAT CIRCLES ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE

PASSING THROUGH THE CELESTIAL POLES WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE
MERIDIANS ON THE EARTH’S SURFACE
ECLIPTIC: GREAT CIRCLE ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE IN THE SAME ORBIT AS THE
EARTH’S ORBIT

OBILIQUITY OF THE ECLIPTIC: THE ANGLE BETWEEN THE EQUINOCTIAL AND THE
ECLIPTIC WHICH IS 23°26.7’ [23½°]
FIRST POINT OF ARIES: POINT ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE WHERE ECLIPTIC
INTERSECTS THE EQUINOCIAL FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.

FIRST POINT OF LIBRA: POINT ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE WHERE ECLIPTIC

INTERSECTS THE EQUINOCIAL FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.
EQUINOCTIAL SYSTEM

DECLINATION: IS THE ARC OF THE MERIDIAN MEASURED FROM THE

EQUINOCTIAL TO THE PARALLEL OF DECLINATION PASSING THROUGH THE BODY,
MEASURED NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE EQUINOCTIAL [0° TO 90° N/S]

SIDEREAL HOUR ANGLE: SHA : IS THE ARC OF THE EQUINOCTIAL OR THE ANGLE
AT THE CELESTIAL POLE MEASURED BETWEEN THE CELESTIAL MERIDIAN
PASSING THROUGH THE FIRST POINT OF ARIES AND THE CELESTIAL MERIDIAN
PASSING THROUGH THE BODY MEASURED WESTWARD FROM ARIES.

GREENWICH HOUR ANGLE: GHA : IS THE ARC OF THE EQUINOCTIAL OR THE

ANGLE AT THE CELESTIAL POLE MEASURED BETWEEN THE CELESTIAL MERIDIAN
PASSING THROUGH GREENWICH AND THE CELESTIAL MERIDIAN PASSING
THROUGH THE BODY MEASURED WESTWARD FROM GREENWICH.

LOCAL HOUR ANGLE: LHA : IS THE ARC OF THE EQUINOCTIAL OR THE ANGLE AT
THE CELESTIAL POLE MEASURED BETWEEN THE OBSERVER’S CELESTIAL
MERIDIAN AND THE CELESTIAL MERIDIAN PASSING THROUGH THE BODY
MEASURED WESTWARD FROM THE OBSERVER.

RIGHT ASCENSION: RA : IS THE ARC OF THE EQUINOCTIAL OR THE ANGLE AT

THE CELESTIAL POLE MEASURED BETWEEN THE CELESTIAL MERIDIAN PASSING
THROUGH THE FIRST POINT OF ARIES AND THE CELESTIAL MERIDIAN PASSING
THROUGH THE BODY MEASURED EASTWARD FROM ARIES.

EASTERLY HOUR ANGLE: EHA : IS THE ARC OF THE EQUINOCTIAL OR THE ANGLE
AT THE CELESTIAL POLE MEASURED BETWEEN THE OBSERVER’S CELESTIAL
MERIDIAN AND THE CELESTIAL MERIDIAN PASSING THROUGH THE BODY
MEASURED EASTWARD FROM THE OBSERVER.

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF A CELESTIAL BODY.

LATITUDE IS SAME AS DECL OF THE BODY
LONGITUDE IS SIMILAR TO GHA OF THE BODY
IF GHA LESS THAN 180° , THEN LONG. IS WEST
IF GHA MORE THAN 180 °,
THEN LONG IS [360 ° - GHA] AND WILL TAKE THE NAME EAST.
HORIZON SYSTEM
OBSERVER’S ZENITH: POINT ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE VERTICALLY ABOVE THE
OBSERVER

OBSERVER’S NADIR: POINT ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE VERTICALLY BELOW THE

OBSERVER OR VERTICALLY OPPOSITE THE ZENITH
VERTICAL CIRCLES: GREAT CIRCLE ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE PASSING
THROUGH THE OBSERVER’S ZENITH AND NADIR.

PRIME VERTICAL: VERTICAL CIRCLE PASSING THROUGH THE OBSERVER’S EAST

WEST POINTS OF HIS RATIONAL HORIZON
RATIONAL HORIZON: GREAT CIRCLE ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE 90° AWAY
FROM THE OBSERVER’S ZENITH

TRUE ALTITUDE: ARC ON THE VERTICAL CIRCLE BETWEEN OBSERVER’S HORIZON

AND CENTRE OF BODY
ZENITH DISTANCE: ARC ON THE VERTICAL CIRCLE BETWEEN OBSERVER’S ZENITH
AND CENTRE OF BODY

AZIMUTH: ARC OF THE RATIONAL HORIZON OR ANGLE AT THE ZENITH BETWEEN

OBSERVER’S MERIDIAN AND VERTICAL CIRCLE THROUGH THE BODY
Eg. N ___ E
AMPLITUDE: ARC OF THE RATIONAL HORIZON OR ANGLE AT THE ZENITH
BETWEEN PRIME VERTICAL CIRCLE AND VERTICAL CIRCLE THROUGH THE BODY
WHEN THE BODY IS RISING OR SETTING.
Eg. E ____ S

S O L A R SYSTEM
KEPLER’S FIRST LAW
• ALL PLANETS REVOLVE ABOUT THE SUN IN ELLIPTICAL ORBITS WITH THE
SUN SITUATED AT ONE OF THE FOCI OF THE ELLIPSE
• An Ellipse is a locus of points, such that the sum of the distance from any
point on the ellipse to the two foci is constant.

KEPLER’S SECOND LAW

• THE RADIUS VECTOR OF A PLANET SWEEPS OUT EQUAL AREA IN EQUAL
PERIODS
• PLANETS MOVE FASTER WHEN CLOSER TO THE SUN THAN WHEN AWAY
FROM THE SUN

KEPLER’S THIRD LAW

• PLANETS WHICH ARE CLOSER TO THE SUN HAVE A GREATER ANGULAR
ORBITAL VELOCITY THAN PLANETS WHICH ARE FURTHER AWAY.
• INFERIOR PLANETS HAVE A GREATER ANGULAR VELOCITY THAN SUPERIOR
PLANETS.

TERMS TO EXPRESS DISTANCE

• APHELION: A PLANET IS SAID TO BE IN APHELION WHEN IN ITS ORBIT IT
IS FARTHEST FROM THE SUN, THE EARTH IS 94.45 MILION MILES
• PERIHELION: A PLANET IS SAID TO BE IN PERIHELION WHEN IN ITS ORBIT
IT IS NEAREST TO THE SUN, THE EARTH IS 91.35 MILION MILES AT PERIHELION
• APHELION & PERIHELION ARE DISTANCES EXPRESSED FROM THE SUN
• CONJUNCTION: A PLANET OR MOON IS SAID TO BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE SUN WHEN AS VIEWED FROM THE EARTH ARE IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS
THE SUN

• INFERIOR CONJUNCTION: PLANETS CLOSER TO THE EARTH IN IT’S ORBIT

• SUPERIOR CONJUNCTION: PLANETS AWAY FROM THE EARTH IN IT’S ORBIT
• OPPOSITION: A PLANET OR MOON IS SAID TO BE IN OPPOSITION WITH
THE SUN WHEN AS VIEWED FROM THE EARTH ARE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION
OF THE SUN
•
• ELONGATION: THE ANGLE AT THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH CONTAINED
BETWEEN THE CENTRE OF THE SUN AND THE CENTRE OF THE PLANET.
• INFERIOR PLANETS HAVE SMALL ELONGATION [MAX 47˚]
• SUPERIOR PLANETS HAVE ELONGATION UPTO 180 ˚
•
• QUADRATURE: A PLANET OR MOON IS SAID TO BE IN QUADRATURE WITH
THE SUN WHEN IT’S ELONGATION ANGLE IS EXACTLY 90˚

• On 21st June [Summer Solstice] the North end of the earth’s axis is tilted
towards the Sun by maximum amount (23 ½°). The sun rays falls directly on the
Tropic of Cancer and places on the N.H. will experience the longest day. Summer
seasons starts
• On 23rd Sept. [Autumanal Equinox] the North end of the earth’s axis is at right
angles from the Sun. The sun rays falls directly on the Equator and places on the
N.H. will experience equal day and night. Autumn season starts.
• On 22nd Dec. [Winter Solstice] the South end of the earth’s axis is tilted
towards the Sun by maximum amount (23 ½°). The Sun rays falls directly on the
Tropic of Capricorn and places on the N.H. will experience the shortest day. Winter
season starts
• On 21st March [Vernal Equinox] the North end of the earth’s axis is at right
angles from the Sun. The sun rays falls directly on the Equator and places on the
N.H. will experience equal day and night. Spring season starts

• VENUS : MORNING & EVENING STAR

• Venus is an inferior planet.
• When Venus is at superior or inferior conjunction with the Sun, Venus cannot
be seen in the sky due to brightness of the Sun.
• As the earth rotates on its axis and the observer reaches position Z1 , Venus
is seen on the eastern horizon at position V1.
• As the earth rotates further and the observer reaches position Z2 , the Sun
will now rise.
• Since Venus will rise in the morning a few hours before the Sun it is termed
as a MORNING STAR.
• Then as the Sun rises, the sky brightens and Venus fades away in the
daytime sky. In the evening, as the earth rotates on its axis and the observer
reaches position Z3 , the Sun sets and now Venus can be seen on the western
horizon at position V2.
• As the earth rotates further and the observer reaches position Z4 , Venus sets
on the western horizon.
• Since Venus will set in the evening a few hours after the Sun it is termed as a
EVENING STAR.
• Venus has a maximum elongation of 47° and is seen above the horizon
approximately 3 hrs before Sunrise or after Sunset.

Stars culminate 4 minutes earlier each day

• At E1 the Observer on the Earth, Sun and Aries are in transit.
• As the Earth rotates 360° and also moves along its orbit and comes to
position E2, Aries is again in transit because of its infinite distance from the Earth
and one Sidereal day is completed.
• However for the Sun to come in transit the Observer on the Earth has to
rotate an additional amount.
• Since the Earth completes a revolution of 360° around the Sun in 1 year
[365¼ days] and average additional angular motion of the Earth would be
360°/365¼=59’
• To complete a Solar day the observer on the Earth has to rotate 360°+59’.
• Since time is measured by the Sun, our clock show 24hours from one transit
to the next transit of the Sun.
Hence all stars and Aries culminate on completion of a rotation of 360° which is
equivalent to 23h 56m 04s which is about 4 minutes earlier each day.

Star Identification
For a given ship’s time find the GMT
From the Almanac we can calculate the C.GHAγ
Apply observer’s Longitude to get LHAγ
At Meridian passage LHA=360°
LHA star = C.GHAγ ± Long + SHA star
We can calculate SHA star.
Select a range of say 15° before and after meridian passage
From this value refer to the Almanac pages 268 to 273 for the name of the
navigation star.
Using magnitude and number we can shortlist the stars, then for the daily pages
confirm the stars which are above the observer’s horizon.

ALTITUDES
HORIZONS
• VISIBLE HORIZON: A SMALL CIRCLE ON THE EARTH’S SURFACE BOUNDING
THE OBSERVER’S VISION AT SEA
• SENSIBLE HORIZON: A SMALL CIRCLE ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE IN THE
PLANE OF THE OBSERVER’S EYE AND PARALLEL TO THE RATIONAL HORIZON

OBSERVER’S RATIONAL HORIZON OR CELESTIAL HORIZON: GREAT CIRCLE ON

THE CELESTIAL SPHERE 90° AWAY FROM THE OBSERVER’S ZENITH
• OBSERVER’S ZENITH: THE POINT ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE VERTICALLY
ABOVE THE OBSERVER
• SEXTANT ALTITUDE: THE ALTITUDE OF A BODY ABOVE THE VISIBLE
HORIZON
• OBSERVED ALTITUDE: THE ALTITUDE OF A BODY ABOVE THE VISIBLE
HORIZON CORRECTED FOR INDEX ERROR IF ANY
• APPARENT ALTITUDE: THE ALTITUDE OF A BODY ABOVE THE SENSIBLE
HORIZON CORRECTED FOR INDEX ERROR IF ANY AND DIP

TRUE ALTITUDE: THE ANGLE AT THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH CONTAINED

BETWEEN THE RATIONAL HORIZON AND THE CENTRE OF THE BODY
• INDEX ERROR: INSTRUMENTAL ERROR WHICH IS CHECKED AT REGULAR
INTERVALS AND APPLIED TO THE SEXTANT ALTITUDE
• ON THE ARC IS SUBTRACTED
• OFF THE ARC IS ADDED

DIP: THE ANGLE AT THE OBSERVER BETWEEN THE OBSERVER’S SENSIBLE

HORIZON AND THE VISIBLE HORIZON. DIP IS ALWAYS NEGATIVE
• REFRACTION: THE DEVIATION OF LIGHT AS IT PASSES FROM ONE MEDIUM
TO THE OTHER. DUE TO REFRACTION WE OBSERVE THE BODY AT A LARGER
ALTITUDE, HENCE REFRACTION IS ALWAYS NEGATIVE
• REFRACTION IS NIL AT ZENITH AND MAXIMUM AT HORIZON [34.5’]
• SEMI DIAMETER: APPLIED ONLY FOR SUN AND MOON AS PER VALUES
INDICATED IN THE ALMANAC
• FOR LOWER LIMB SEMI DIAMETER IS POSITIVE
• FOR UPPER LIMB SEMI DIAMETER IS NEGATIVE

• PARALLAX IN ALTITUDE : THE ANGLE AT THE CENTRE OF THE BODY

CONTAINED BETWEEN CENTRE OF THE EARTH AND THE OBSERVER ON THE
SURFACE OF THE EARTH WHEN THE BODY IS AT ANY ALTITUDE

HORIZONTAL PARALLAX : THE ANGLE AT THE CENTRE OF THE BODY CONTAINED

BETWEEN THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH AND THE OBSERVER AT THE SURFACE OF
THE EARTH WHEN THE BODY IS ON THE OBSERVER’S SENSIBLE HORIZON

INDEX ERROR OF SEXTANT

1) HORIZON METHOD : CLAMP THE INDEX BAR TO ZERO, HOLD SEXTANT
VERTICALLY. VIEW THE DIRECT AND REFLECTED IMAGE OF THE HORIZON, TURN
THE MICROMETER UNTIL THE DIRECT AND REFLECTED IMAGE IS IN A LINE. READ
OUT THE INDEX ERROR FROM THE MICROMETER.
IF THE INDEX BAR IS ON THE ARC [ MORE THAN ZERO] IT IS TERMED AS ON THE
ARC AND THE ERROR TAKES A NEGATIVE SIGN
IF THE INDEX BAR IS OFF THE ARC [ LESS THAN ZERO] IT IS TERMED AS OFF THE
ARC AND THE ERROR TAKES A POSITIVE SIGN
2) BY OBSERVING THE SUN :
Set the index at about 32’ ON the arc. Hold sextant vertical and look at the sun,
using shades. The reflected image of the sun would appear below the direct image.
Turn  the micrometer until their closer limbs just touch. Note reading ON the arc.
Set the index at about 32’ OFF the arc and look at the Sun. The reflected image of
the sun would appear above the direct image. Turn  the micrometer until their closer
limbs just touch. Note reading OFF the arc. 
The difference is the index error.
The name of IE is the name of the reading having the higher numerical value.

• AUGUMENTATION OF MOON’S SEMI DIAMETER

• THE TABULATED SEMI DIAMETER IS FROM THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH
• WHEN THE OBSERVER ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH OBSERVES THE
MOON, HE IS CLOSER TO THE MOON BY AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE RADIUS OF
THE EARTH WHICH IS 4000’
HENCE THE SEMI DIAMETER OF THE MOON SHOULD BE LARGER THAN TABULATED
AND WILL VARY WITH ALTITUDE.

• AT THE HORIZON AUGMENTATION IS NIL AND INCREASE WITH ALTITUDE

AND BECOMES MAXIMUM AT THE OBSERVER’S ZENITH BY A VALUE OF 0.3’
THE AUGUMENTATED SEMI DIAMETER IS THEN APPLIED TO CORRECT THE
TABULATED ALTITUDE WHICH ARE INDICATED IN THE NOORIE’S TABLES.
• SINCE THE SUN IS 93 MILLION MILES FROM THE EARTH, THE OBSERVER
ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH IS 4000’ CLOSER TO THE SUN. THIS VALUE WILL
MAKE A NEGILABLE CHANGE IN THE TABULATED S.D. OF THE SUN. HENCE THERE
IS NO AUGUMENTATION CORRECTION APPLIED TO THE SUN.
MOREOVER THE TABULATED SEMI DIAMETER OF THE SUN IS ASSUMED TO BE THE
SAME FOR 3 DAYS.
THEORETICAL SUN RISE / SUN SET : IS WHEN THE CENTRE OF THE SUN IS ON
THE RATIONAL HORIZON
VISIBLE SUN RISE / SUN SET: IS WHEN THE UPPER LIMB OF THE SUN IS JUST
TOUCHING THE VISIBLE HORIZON
WE HAVE VISIBLE SUNRISE, THOERTICAL SUNRISE, THOERETICAL SUNSET ,
VISIBLE SUNSET

SOLAR ECLIPSE
WHEN THE MOON IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SUN IT BLOCKS THE LIGHT OF
THE SUN FROM THE EARTH AND SO TERMED AS SOLAR ECLIPSE
UMBRA IS THAT PART WHERE NO LIGHT OF THE SUN REACHES THE EARTH
 
PENUMBRA IS THAT PART WHERE PART LIGHT FROM THE SUN REACHES THE
EARTH
 
PLACES ON THE EARTH WITHIN THE UMBRA REGION WILL EXPERIENCE TOTAL
ECLIPSE
 PLACES ON THE EARTH WITHIN THE PENUMBRA REGION WILL EXPERIENCE
PARTIAL ECLIPSE
 
WHEN THE MOON IS IN APOGEE WITH THE EARTH, IT MAY HAPPEN THAT DURING
THE ECLIPSE THERE IS NO UMBRA REGION AND THE OBSERVER ON THE EARTH
CAN SEE THE SUN WITH THE MOON OBSCURING THE CENTRAL PORTION. THIS
TYPE OF ECLIPSE IS TERMED AS ANNULAR ECLIPSE
 
FOR SOLAR ECLIPSE TO OCCUR THE SUN & MOON MUST BE IN CONJUNCTION,
THE SHA’S OR GHA’S EQUAL AND DECLINATION HAVING TH SAME NAME AND
VALUE
AS THE MOON’S ORBIT IS INCLINED BY 5¼º TO THE ECLIPTIC, A SOLAR ECLIPSE
CAN OCCUR ONLY WHEN THE MOON IS IN CONJUCTION AND VERY NEAR TO ONE
OF HER NODES OR NEAR THE ECLIPTIC ON A NEW MOON DAY

LUNAR ECLIPSE
A LUNAR ECLIPSE TAKES PLACE WHEN THE MOON PASSES THROUGH THE
EARTH’S SHADOW WHICH CAN TAKE PLACE AT OPPOSITION
 
UMBRA IS THAT PART WHERE NO LIGHT OF THE SUN REACHES THE MOON
 
PENUMBRA IS THAT PART WHERE PART LIGHT FROM THE SUN REACHES THE
MOON
WHEN THE MOON IS WITHIN THE UMBRA REGION , IT IS TERMED AS TOTAL
ECLIPSE AND THE MOON BECOMES INVISIBLE
 
WHEN THE MOON IS WITHIN THE PENUMBRA REGION , IT IS TERMED AS
PENUMBRAL ECLIPSE AND THE FULL MOON BECOMES VISIBLE WITH DEMINISHED
BRILLIANCE
WHEN THE MOON IS PARTLY WITHIN THE UMBRA REGEION AND THE OTHER
PART WITHIN THE PENUMBRA REGION , IT IS TERMED AS PARTIAL ECLIPSE AS
THAT PART WITHIN THE UMBRA WILL NOT BE VISIBLE AND THE OTHER PART
WITHIN THE PENUMBRA WILL BE VISIBLE WITH DEMINISHED BRILLIANCE

FOR LUNAR ECLIPSE TO OCCUR THE SUN & MOON MUST BE IN OPPOSITION, THE
SHA’S OR GHA’S MUST DIFFER BY NAERLY 180º
AND DECLINATION HAVING TH OPPOSITE NAME AND SAME VALUE
 
A LUNAR ECLIPSE CAN OCCUR ONLY WHEN THE MOON IS ON OR NEAR THE
ECLIPTIC ON A FULL MOON DAY
 
MAXIMUN ECLIPSE 7 IN A YEAR
SOLAR ECLIPSE MAX 4 OR 5
 
MINIMUM ECLIPSE 2 IN A YEAR BOTH SOLAR
EVEN THOUGH SOLAR ECLIPSE ARE MORE THAN LUNAR ECLIPSE , MORE PEOPLE
ON THE EARTH SEE LUNAR ECLIPSE.
DURING LUNAR ECLIPSE 50% OF THE EARTH IS FACING THE MOON AND SO THE
ENTIRE 50% OF THE EARTH OBSERVE LUNAR ECLIPSE AT THE SAME TIME
COMPARED TO DURING SOLAR ECLIPSE ONLY THAT PART OF THE EARTH WHICH
EXPERIENCES THE SOLAR ECLIPSE WILL OBSERVE IT.
DURING LUNAR ECLIPSE THE MOON PASSES THROUGH A LARGER SHADOW CAST
BY THE EARTH COMPARED TO DURING SOLAR ECLIPSE WHERE A SMALLER
SHADOW IS CAST BY THE MOON

 PHASES OF THE MOON

• THE ILLUMINATED PORTION OF THE MOON FROM THE EARTH IS TERMED
AS PHASES OF THE MOON
• NEW MOON, CRESENT, HALF, GIBBOUS, FULL, GIBBOUS, HALF, CRESENT,
NEW MOON
• TOTAL TIME IS 29½ DAYS
 
• WAXING : FROM NEW TO FULL, VISIBLE AREA INCREASING , WESTERN
PORTION OF MOON VISIBLE
• WANING : FROM FULL TO NEW , VISIBLE AREA DECREASING , EASTERN
PORTION OF MOON VISIBLE
• AGE OF MOON: TIME ELAPSED SINCE LAST NEW MOON

CIRCUMPOLAR BODIES
A body is said to circumpolar if it never sets OR the body is always within the
Rational Horizon. There are two requirements.
LAT & DECL SAME NAMES
LAT + DECL ≥ 90
• UNDER ABOVE CONDITIONS CELESTIAL BODY MAY REMAIN ABOVE THE
RATIONAL HORIZON AND DOES NOT SET
• THE OBSERVER IS ABLE TO SEE BOTH THE MERIDIAN PASSAGES (UPPER-
CLOSER TO OBSERVER & LOWER AWAY FROM OBSERVER)
• 2 POLAR DIST = DIST BET UPP & LOWER MER ALTITUDE
• LAT = POLAR DIST + LOWER MER ALT
DECL = 90 – POLAR DIST

TWILIGHT
• LIGHT RECEIVED FROM THE SUN WHEN BELOW THE HORIZON
• CIVIL TWILIGHT WHEN SUN’S CENTRE IS 6° BELOW THE RATIONAL
HORIZON
• NAUTICAL TWILIGHT WHEN SUN’S CENTRE IS 12° BELOW THE RATIONAL
HORIZON
• ASTRONOMICAL TWILIGHT WHEN SUN’S CENTRE IS 18° BELOW THE
RATIONAL HORIZON 
• TWILIGHT LAST UNTIL VISIBLE SUNRISE 
VISIBLE SUNRISE IS WHEN SUN’S UPPER LIMB APPEARS OVER THE VISIBLE
HORIZON
• MIDNIGHT SUN
• OBSERVERS IN LAT [90 – DECL] WOULD EXPERIENCE MIDNIGHT SUN IN
THE SAME HEMISPHERE AS THE SUN’S DECL
• THE SUN WOULD BE ON THE HORIZON THROUGHT THE DAY AND NIGHT,
HOWEVER THE AZIMUTH WOULD CHANGE ACCORDINGLY
•  
• CONTINUOUS NIGHT
• OBSERVERS IN LAT [90 – DECL] WOULD EXPERIENCE CONTINUOUS NIGHT
IN THE OPPOSITE HEMISPHERE AS THE SUN’S DECL

V CORRECTION
• THE HOURLY CHANGE IN GHA OF THE CELESTIAL BODIES ARE AS FOLLOWS
• GHA SUN & PLANETS 15˚ 00.0’
• GHA ARIES 15˚ 02.5’
• GHA MOON 14˚ 19.0’
 
THE “V” CORRECTION IS APPLIED TO THE GHA OF PLANETS & MOON. THIS IS
THE EXCESS CORRECTION WHICH HAS TO BE APPLIED.

• SINCE PLANETS USE THE INCREMENT TABLES OF SUN, THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN SUN AND THE RESPECTIVE PLANET IS THE “V” CORRECTION WHICH IS
INDICATED FOR EVERY 3 DAYS.
VENUS BEING AN INFERIOR PLANET, IT SOMETIMES HAS “V” CORRECTON WITH A
NEGATIVE SIGN AS INDICATED FOR EVERY 3 DAYS AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH
PAGE.

• MOON DUE TO ITS CLOSE PROXIMITY HAS “V” CORRECTION INDICATED

HOURLY. THE “V” CORRECTION OF MOON IS ALWAYS POSITIVE AS THE HOURLY
INCREASE OF GHA OF MOON IS 14˚ 19.0’
• THERE IS NO SEPARATE “V” CORRECTION FOR SUN BUT THE “V”
CORRECTION IF ANY IS INDICATED IN THE GHA OF THE SUN ITSELF.
TO APPLY “V” CORRECTION WE GO TO THE RESPECTIVE MINUTE AND LOOK AT
CORRESPONDING VALUE FOR THAT “V” VALUE WHICH IS APPLIED TO THE GHA &
INCREMENT OF THE CELESTIAL BODY.

D CORRECTION
• THIS IS APPLIED TO THE DECLINATION OF SUN, MOON AND PLANETS
• TO APPLY “D” CORRECTION WE GO TO THE RESPECTIVE MINUTE AND LOOK
AT CORRESPONDING VALUE FOR THAT “D” VALUE .
 
• THE SIGN OF THE “D” CORRECTION DEPENDS ON THE CHANGE IN
DECLINATION FOR THE NEXT HOUR.
FOR SUN AND PLANETS THE “D” CORRECTION IS APPLIED EVERY 3 DAYS
HOWEVER THE “D” CORRECTION FOR MOON IS APPLIED HOURLY.
EQ OF TIME=MEAN TIME–APPARENT TIME
 EQ OF TIME IS AN INTERVAL OF TIME OR THE ANGLE BETWEEN THE MERIDIAN
OF THE TRUE SUN AND THE MEAN SUN
 
AS TIME IS MEASURED WESTWARD AND GHA & SHA ARE ALSO MEASURED
WESTWARD
 
EQ OF TIME = GHAMS - GHATS
= LHAMS - LHATS
= SHAMS - SHATS
= RATS - RAMS
[AS RA IS MEASURED EASTWARD FROM ARIES]

INTL DATE LINE : APPROX 180 º

IT PASSES ON THE 180 MERIDIAN AROUND A GROUP OF ISLANDS SO THAT ALL
COUNTRIES IN THAT GROUP FOLLOW THE SAME DATE
IN EASTWARD DIRECTION SHIP’S HAVE TO ADVANCE HER CLOCKS BY ONE HOUR
FOR EVERY 15º
IN WESTWARD DIRECTION SHIP’S HAVE TO RETARD HER CLOCKS BY ONE HOUR
FOR EVERY 15º
SHIP’S ON AN EASTERLY COURSE RETARD THE DATE BY ONE DAY
SHIP’S ON AN WESTERLY COURSE ADVANCE THE DATE BY ONE DAY

MOON
SIDEREAL PERIOD OF THE MOON:
TIME TAKEN BY THE MOON TO COMPLETE ONE REVOLUTION OF 360˚ AROUND
THE EARTH WHICH IS 27DAYS 07HOURS 43 MINUTES AND 12 SECONDS AND IS
CONSTANT, APPROX 27.33 DAYS

SYNODIC PERIOD OF THE MOON:

TIME BETWEEN TWO CONSECUTIVE NEW MOONS OR TWO CONSECUTIVE FULL
MOONS WHICH IS ABOUT 29 DAYS 12 HOURS 44 MINS AND VARIES DUE TO THE
ECCENTRICITY OF THE MOON’S ORBIT AND THE EARTH’S ORBIT. THIS IS ALSO
CALLED LUNAR MONTH, LUNATION OR SYNODIC MONTH

Daily Retardation of the moon:

At new moon, the sun and moon are in conjuction and would culiminate at the same
time.
As the synodic period of moon is 291/2 days, it means in one day the moon moves
eastward by an amount 360o/291/2=12.2o
For the moon to culminate again the earth has to rotate further
Rotate 12.2o
Since the earth rotates at a rate of 15o an hour, it takes 49 minutes to rotate the
further 12.2o
For this reason the moon culminates about later each day the average length of the
lunar day is about 24hrs 50mins of the mean solar time