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Lunar Distance Details
From: Dan Allen
Date: 1998 Jun 09, 1:55 PM
From: Dan Allen
Date: 1998 Jun 09, 1:55 PM
Here's a bit more detail about taking lunars, so you can see that the calculations are maybe three times what the calculations are for a standard sextant fix: Lunar Distances --------------- 1. Measure angle between Moon and the Sun or a star near the ecliptic. Correct for semi-diameter and any instrument error. 2. Call this Do. 3. The altitude of each body is observed simultaneously or adjusted to the same time. 4. The equivalent geocentric distance Dog is then: (cos(Do)-sin(ham)*sin(has))*cos(Hom)*cos(Hos) cos(Dog) = sin(Hom)*sin(Hos) + --------------------------------------------- cos(ham) * cos(has) where Ha = apparent altitude (sextant altitude corrected for dip and index error) Ho = observed altitude (apparent altitude corrected for refraction, semi-diameter, parallax) sub m = moon sub s = sun or star 5. The calculated value of the lunar distance Dc is: cos(Dc) = sin(dm) * sin(ds) + cos(dm) * cos(ds) * cos(SHAm - SHAs) where d is declination, SHA is siderial hour angle, and the subscripts m and s denote moon and sun. 6. The Dc should be calculated for a time believed to be earlier than the correct time, and again for a later time. The Dog and the two values of Dc are compared and the correct time determined by interpolation or extrapolation. (From Navigation Afloat, Alton B. Moody, New York: Van Nostrand, 1980, page 629.) Daniel K. Allen == Windows CE Tools & VMs Test Manager == danallen@microsoft.com Sent from N47�38.592' W122�07.309' == Building 32S/2123, Redmond, WA Measure, Analyze, Communicate =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-= =-= TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send this message to majordomo@ronin.com: =-= =-= navigation =-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=