On 13 October at 1847 ZT, your vessel's DR position is LAT 42°17.4' N, LONG 138°46.2' W. At approximately this time, you obtain a sextant altitude (hs) of Polaris reading 42°16.8', with an index error of 3.2' on the arc. Your chronometer reads 03h 45m 20s and is 1m 32s slow. What is your latitude by Polaris, given a height of eye of 44 feet?

Question

On 13 October at 1847 ZT, your vessel's DR position is LAT 42&deg;17.4' N, LONG 138&deg;46.2' W. At approximately this time, you obtain a sextant altitude (hs) of Polaris reading 42&deg;16.8', with an index error of 3.2' on the arc. Your chronometer reads 03h 45m 20s and is 1m 32s slow. What is your latitude by Polaris, given a height of eye of 44 feet?

Accepted Answer

Option A: 42&deg;09.1'N. Calculate the corrected sextant altitude by applying index error and dip. Determine the LHA of Aries using the corrected chronometer time and longitude. Apply the Polaris correction factors (a0, a1, a2) from the Nautical Almanac to the altitude to derive the latitude, resulting in the correct value of 42°09.1'N.