NavList:

Frank,
your message touches several interesting questions.

> The angular distance from Jupiter to the near limb of the Moon will be less than > a degree for most observers in the Americas. The exact value depends on your
> location.

Near limb will be the dark one.
It never crossed my mind to observe a lunar distance from a DARK limb.
I don't think it is possible in the usual conditions when the dark part is
not visible.

> It's still an excellent test of your sextant and your skill in using it.

Why is this a more "exellent test" than any other Lunar?
(I understand this could be a test for my conjecture about something wrong
happening with my sextant first two teeth. But in general, what is so
excellent about this particular configuration?)

> In fact, by observing this distance, you can determine your latitude

Do you mean by the horizontal parallax?
How else can the latitude affect a lunar
distance?

> and there are other problems connected with small angle lunars

What are they? I understand that the distance changes very slowly because
they have different declination. But what else is bad about close lunars?
Suppose the declination happens to be the same.

Alex.
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