On 17 November in DR position LAT 01°14.4'S, LONG 148°45.5'E, you take an ex- meridian observation of the planet Venus at upper transit. The chronometer time of the sight is 05h 31m 42s, and the chronometer error is 01m 50s fast. The sextant altitude (hs) is 64°41.1'. The index error is 1.8' off the arc, and your height of eye is 50 feet. What is the latitude at meridian transit?
Official USCG Answer & Rule Citation
Correct Answer: Option D — LAT 01°18.0'S
Ex-meridian sights correct the observed meridian altitude for small hour angle offsets using reduction tables. Applying index error, dip, refraction, and parallax to the sextant altitude, combined with the calculated declination, yields LAT 01°18.0'S.
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