Observation of Celestial Body

Application capable to obtain the true altitude and the UT time of a celestial body, used in Celestial Navigation.

Application Highlights:

• Date:
1. Any UT Date (from year 1985 to 2150 +).
2. The current UT date in Greenwich, with the [Now] button.

• Selectable celestial bodies through the menu:
1. Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn
2. The 99 stars of the Nautical Almanac, in alphabetical order

• The GMP time for any of the 99 stars, instantly, including the 99 stars and on any day of the year. Uses the latest star catalogs.
The standard N.A. provides PMG for only 55 stars and only on the first of each month.

• Horizon:
1. Four types of horizon: Sea, Short, Bubble and Reflection.

• Series of heights: Manages the acquisition in less than 5 minutes of time, of up to 5 heights with corresponding times, by averaging the heights and times, as well as the parameters of the linear regression, for potential discards by the user.

• Provides partial corrections: Dip, Semidiameter, Refraction and Parallax, to validate manual calculations.

• Calculate the refraction correction even below 6° 15' of stándard N.A., it employs models proposed by the British Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO)

• Finally delivers corrected height and UT time of sight.

• Computing of Dip, Refraction, SD at time of day, Parallax, etc.. is carried out by the application that integrates a perpetual Nautical Almanac developed as per the VSOP87D theory.

• Can be used in field/sea by means of the [Now] button, to capture the UT time at time sight (Top!).

• The matching with standard N.A. is almost complete, but more accurately, for example in the GMP times, as we use uptodated star catalogs.
You can see partially installed application and a screenshot with an example from page 112 of my book "Celestial Navigation" 2nd edition.