PNTC COLLEGES

Zone III, Lt. Cantimbuhan St. Poblacion, Dasmariñas City

ACTIVITY SHEET
Name Elison, Lord Alfred O. Year and MT NPBST 22-B1
Section
Course Code NAV 203B Course Title Celestial Navigation
Module Number Module 7 Content Topic Ability to Determine the Ship’s
Position
Teacher 2/M Ruel Laganzo Date April 18, 2021

PART 1. EVALUATE
A. Solve for observed altitude:

1. Sextant altitude = 12o18’

Index error = 5’ off the arc
Observed Altitude= 12° 23’

2. Sextant altitude = 40o05’

Index error = 6’ on the arc
Observed Altitude=39° 59’

3. Sextant altitude = 08o54’

Index error = 8’ off the arc
Observed Altitude= 09° 2’

B. Solve for the true altitude using the appendices as reference:

Sextant altitude is 40o05’ with and index error of 8’ off the arc. Height of eye = 12m. Find
the true altitude if the observation is made on April 12, 2021.

Formula
Sextant altitude = 40°05’
Index error (I.E.) = 8’
Observed altitude = 40°13’
Dip = 12° = 6.1’
Apparent altitude = 40° 6.9’
App. Alt. Corr. = + 14.9’
Apparent altitude = + 40°
21.8’
Refraction = - 1.2’
Semi-diameter = + 16.0’
Parallax = 0.1’
True Altitude (Ho) =
40°36.7’
Form No. BPM2-CME 20 F-010
Rev.00
 PNTC COLLEGES
Zone III, Lt. Cantimbuhan St. Poblacion, Dasmariñas City

PART 2. EXTEND
1. Why is it important to know the different sextant corrections?
Answer:
It is important to know the different sextant corrections because the corrections made to
the Hs (sextant altitude) are necessary because the mathematical premise of celestial
navigation has the observer taking a sight to the center of the celestial object from the
center of the earth. Since we cannot physically replicate that assumption we have to
factor in some additional corrections. The various sextant corrections are important
because the observer has a sight of the center of the celestial object from the center of the
earth on the mathematical premise of celestial navigation. If you are taking your sextant
readings from the bridge of a big ship then you are going to get a different sextant reading
to if you were on a small yacht. Therefore, we need to make a correction to what your
sextant says to get your reading converted to a sea level reading.

Form No. BPM2-CME 20 F-010

Rev.00