On 19 November in DR position LAT 20°03.5'N, LONG 129°48.0'W, you take an ex- meridian observation of the planet Venus at upper transit. The chronometer time of the sight is 11h 29m 44s, and the chronometer error is 01m 23s slow. The sextant altitude (hs) is 43°54.3'. The index error is 2.0' off the arc, and your height of eye is 48 feet. What is the latitude at meridian transit?
Official USCG Answer & Rule Citation
Correct Answer: Option D — 19°58.0'N
An ex-meridian sight of Venus near upper transit utilizes Greenwich Hour Angle and declination extracted from the Nautical Almanac. Applying altitude corrections and computing the reduction to the meridian determines the exact latitude of 19°58.0'N.
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