How to Calculate

Sunrise/Sunset
The Easy (?) Way
Remember the form we looked at?

It looks complicated, but use the

boxes to achieve your aims and IT
DOES HELP!
Tab. LMT
DR Lat @ Tab LMT
Tab Latitude Interval
Latitude Time Interval
Latitude Difference
Correction from Table 1
Tab LMT
Corrected LMT
DR  @Tab LMT
Standard Meridian
d  (arc)
d  (time)
Corrected LMT
ZT (1st estimate)
Revised DR 
Standard Meridian
d  (arc)
d  (time)
Corrected LMT
ZT (2nd estimate)
Date: 16 July 1988
At 1600Q, Your fix position is:
38° 00N 075 ° 00W
Course 045 °
Speed 10 knots
To fill in the first box on the form, you have to
find the Tabulated Local Mean Time (Tab
LMT) for Sunset.

Go to the Nautical Almanac for 16 July 1998

(page 141)

Locate the time for Sunset for the NEAREST

LOWER TABULATED LATITUDE. In this
case that is 35 °N, as your fix is at 38 °N.

Enter this time (1914) into the box on the form.

Tab. LMT 19 h 14 m
DR Lat @ Tab LMT
Tab Latitude Interval
Latitude Time Interval
Latitude Difference
Correction from Table 1
Tab LMT
Corrected LMT
DR  @Tab LMT
Standard Meridian
d  (arc)
d  (time)
Corrected LMT
ZT (1st estimate)
Revised DR 
Standard Meridian
d  (arc)
d  (time)
Corrected LMT
ZT (2nd estimate)
Accounting for Time Zone
The next thing you have to do is
plot the DR position for the ship
at the time of Tab LMT for
Sunset (this is where you are
going to be, approximately, when
the sun goes down). However,
DST is in force and you need to
account for this.
The time zone in use is Q(+4).
The Zone time for this position is
R(+5)
The difference is accounted for by the
DST, which makes local time an hour
later than Zone time.
R Q P O N Z A
+5 +4 +3 +2 +1 0 -1
1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100

DST Effect
Use the Small Area Plotting Sheet
(SAPS) to plot your DR position for
Tab LMT, taking into account DST.
This will be for a time of 2014.
Do this by working out how far you
will travel on a course of 045 ° at 10
knots, between 1600 (last fix) and
2014.
Plot this on the SAPS and read off your
DR Latitude and Longitude.
 You should end up with:

38 ° 30N
074 ° 22W

Put these in the right boxes

On the form.
Tab. LMT 19h 14m

DR Lat @ Tab LMT 38 30N

Tab Latitude Interval

Latitude Time Interval

Latitude Difference

Correction from Table 1

Tab LMT

Corrected LMT

DR  @Tab LMT 074 22W

Standard Meridian

d  (arc)

d  (time)

Corrected LMT

ZT (1st estimate)

Revised DR 

Standard Meridian

d  (arc)

d  (time)

Corrected LMT

ZT (2nd estimate)
“Tab Latitude Interval” is the
difference between latitude
amounts as listed on the left hand
side of the Almanac Columns.
In this case it is between 35° and
40 °.

The Tab Latitude Interval is thus:

5°
“Latitude Time Interval” is the
difference in time for Sunset for the 2
tabulated latitudes, 35°N and 40 °N.
In this case that is:
1927 (40 °) – 1914 (35 °)
Or
13 minutes
“Latitude Difference” is the difference
between your DR Latitude, and the
one you used to find your Tab LMT,
in this case 35 °.

Thus “Latitude Difference” is:

38° 30N - 35 °N
Or
3 ° 30’
Tab. LMT 19h 14m

DR Lat @ Tab LMT 38 30N

Tab Latitude Interval 5

Latitude Time Interval 13 mins

Latitude Difference 3 30

Correction from Table 1

Tab LMT 19h 14m

Corrected LMT

DR  @Tab LMT 074 22W

Standard Meridian

d  (arc)

d  (time)

Corrected LMT

ZT (1st estimate)

Revised DR 

Standard Meridian

d  (arc)

d  (time)

Corrected LMT

ZT (2nd estimate)
You now have to use Table 1 to interpolate
for the Latitude Difference (3° 30’) that
you worked out.
Use: Tabular Interval (5°)
Latitude Time Interval (13 mins)
Correction= 7m + (10-7 x 3) = 8.8m
5
= 8 min 48s
Tab. LMT 19h 14m

DR Lat @ Tab LMT 38 30N

Tab Latitude Interval 5

Latitude Time Interval 13 mins

Latitude Difference 3 30

Correction from Table 1 8 m 48s

Tab LMT 19h 14m

Corrected LMT 19h 22m 48s

DR  @Tab LMT 074 22W

Standard Meridian

d  (arc)

d  (time)

Corrected LMT

ZT (1st estimate)

Revised DR 

Standard Meridian

d  (arc)

d  (time)

Corrected LMT

ZT (2nd estimate)
Now you have to account for your
Longitude.
Your Standard Meridian for R(+5) is 075°.
075°W 060°W

074° 22W
DR Long Difference is 38’E
Tab. LMT 19h 14m

DR Lat @ Tab LMT 38 30N

Tab Latitude Interval 5

Latitude Time Interval 13 mins

Latitude Difference 3 30

Correction from Table 1 8 m 48s

Tab LMT 19h 14m

Corrected LMT 19h 22m 48s

DR  @Tab LMT 074 22W

Standard Meridian 75W

d  (arc) (E/W) 38’E

d  (time) (-/+)

Corrected LMT

ZT (1st estimate)

Revised DR 

Standard Meridian

d  (arc)

d  (time)

Corrected LMT

ZT (2nd estimate)
Now go to the “Conversion Arc to
Time” page of the Almanac to find
out the Time Equivalent to the
Longitude Difference:
38’E = -2 mins 32 s
Tab. LMT 19h 14m

DR Lat @ Tab LMT 38 30N

Tab Latitude Interval 5

Latitude Time Interval 13 mins

Latitude Difference 3 30

Correction from Table 1 8 m 48s

Tab LMT 19h 14m

Corrected LMT 19h 22m 48s

DR  @Tab LMT 074 22W

Standard Meridian 75W

d  (arc) (E/W) 38’E

d  (time) (-/+) -2m 32s

Corrected LMT 19h 22m 48s

ZT (1st estimate) 19h 20m 16s

Revised DR 

Standard Meridian

d  (arc)

d  (time)

Corrected LMT

ZT (2nd estimate)
To ensure maximum accuracy of
your prediction your now have to
do a Second Estimate with the new
time for Sunset. Remember that
the last time you worked out the
DR for a time of 19hr 14min, but
the new time is more than 8 mins
later at 19hr 22min 14sec.
The Latitude Difference is
insignificant, so all you have to do is
work out the change due to Longitude.

Remember –
1 degree is equal to 4 minutes.
Tab. LMT 19h 14m

DR Lat @ Tab LMT 38 30N

Tab Latitude Interval 5

Latitude Time Interval 13 mins

Latitude Difference 3 30

Correction from Table 1 8 m 48s

Tab LMT 19h 14m

Corrected LMT 19h 22m 48s

DR  @Tab LMT 074 22W

Standard Meridian 75W

d  (arc) (E/W) 38’E

d  (time) (-/+) -2m 32s

Corrected LMT 19h 22m 48s

ZT (1st estimate) 19h 20m 16s

Revised DR  074 21’W

Standard Meridian 075W

d  (arc) 39’E

d  (time) 2m 36s

Corrected LMT 19h 22m 48s

ZT (2nd estimate) 19h 20m 12s

20h 20m 12s (DST)
QUESTIONS?