NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Alan S
Date: 2012 Jul 17, 20:36 -0700
As I understand, the sun moves around the earth at the rate of 15 degrees per hour, actually it's the earth that moves around the sun, but the rate of movement, 15 D/hr is the same. Therefore, regarding sextant shots separated by 5 hrs 26 min 17 sec, the angles between LOP's should be close to 82.5 Degrees.
I shot the sun twice today, both shots from positions within a few feet of each other. First shot at 10:04:56. Second shot at 15:31:13, time between shots being 5 Hrs 26 Min 17 Sec. The difference in times should have given a spread of approximately 82.5 Degrees between LOP's.
I reduced the sights and plotted them, getting a difference between KP (GPS coordinates) and calculated fix of less than 2 NM. Measuring, with a protractor, the angle between LOP's, I got 55 or 56 Degrees, instead of something closer to 82.5 Dergrees, which I think I should have gotten.
Does some dumb error, or grevious misunderstanding my part jump out at anyone, or is the angle I measured about what it should be, letting the bit about 15 Degrees/hr slide? Any clarification would be appreciated, Thanks.
Alan
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