On 12 June your 1845 DR position is LAT 21°47'N, LONG 46°52'W when you observe a faint unidentifiable star through a break in the clouds. The star bears 174.0°T at a sextant altitude (hs) of 18°58.6'. The index error is 0.5'on the arc, and the height of eye is 45 feet. The chronometer reads 09h 43m 27s, and the chronometer error is 1m 46s slow. What star did you observe?

Question

On 12 June your 1845 DR position is LAT 21&deg;47'N, LONG 46&deg;52'W when you observe a faint unidentifiable star through a break in the clouds. The star bears 174.0&deg;T at a sextant altitude (hs) of 18&deg;58.6'. The index error is 0.5'on the arc, and the height of eye is 45 feet. The chronometer reads 09h 43m 27s, and the chronometer error is 1m 46s slow. What star did you observe?

Accepted Answer

Option D: Muhlifain. Determine GHA Aries and the star's SHA to find the LHA. Calculate the star's Declination and compare these coordinates against the Nautical Almanac star list. Muhlifain matches the calculated celestial position and observed altitude, confirming the identity of the star through standard celestial navigation reduction techniques.