NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Antoine Couëtte
Date: 2023 Feb 5, 06:37 -0800
Hello to all,
Capella and her 3 kids bottom right.
Her 2 external kids pointing almost towards Polaris, which is almost on top of the leftmost wall.
Capella 12.5 cm from Polaris on my screen. From my old "Ephémérides Nautiques 1981" get geocentric unrefracted Distance Capella - Polaris = 43.45°. Close to Capella's co-declination at 46° since 90° - 43.45° = 46.55°, which is a good confirmation.
Polaris - horizon = 10.2 cm which makes Observers's rough latitude at 43.45° * 10.2 / 12.5 = N 35.45° , i.e. close to N35°30' (No refraction, and assuming Polaris Declination = 90°)
Visible Star Navigation stars : Polaris, Kochab (next to the trail), Capella, α Cass. (Scheat), γ Cass. and δ Cass. The two hidden ones are to be α UMa (Dubhé) and β Uma (Mérak) .
Looks like splendid and pretty unusual Northern Lights.
No time for more, but ...
... from northern lights approximate date - should be within reach of Weather archives, besause of Northern Lights so unfrequent at such latitude, assuming the most recent ones - and assuming that the trail could be specifically identified (too much far North for the ISS ?) , we sould even be able to rather accurately time the picture and compute longitude (successive approximations probably required) to within 1°.
Best regards to all,
Kermit
