On 2 October your 1845 DR position is LAT 28°09.2'S, LONG 167°48.1'E. You observe a faint star through a hole in the clouds at a sextant altitude (hs) of 68°03.6' bearing 154°T. The index error is 1.3' off the arc, and the height of eye is 42 feet. The chronometer reads 07h 46m 19s and is 0m 51s fast. What star did you observe?

Question

Accepted Answer

Option A: Alpha Indi. Correct the sextant altitude for index error and dip to find Ho. Determine GHA Aries and LHA for the DR position. Using the celestial triangle, the calculated altitude and azimuth match the coordinates for Alpha Indi, confirming the star identity through standard sight reduction procedures.