Celestial Navigation · Celestial Sphere — Circumpolar
A circumpolar body, as seen from a given latitude, is one that:
- AIs always at the zenith
- BRises only at noon
- CNever sets — it remains above the horizon through its entire daily circle✓ Correct
- DCannot be used for navigation
Explanation
A body whose polar distance is less than the observer's latitude circles the elevated pole without setting (circumpolar). At suitable times it can give two meridian altitudes (upper and lower transit), both usable for latitude.
Authority: Bowditch (Pub. No. 9)
Practice the full Celestial Navigation bank
Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2550 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.
Related Celestial Navigation questions
- Time
The Nautical Almanac tabulates the positions of celestial bodies against which time standard?
- Time
A vessel in west longitude has a zone description of +5. To convert zone time to UT you must:
- Coordinates
How is the GHA of a star obtained from the Nautical Almanac?
- Coordinates
Sidereal Hour Angle (SHA) is best defined as:
- Coordinates
Declination of a celestial body is the celestial equivalent of:
- The Nautical Almanac
Approximately how fast does the GHA of the Sun increase with time?