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Re: Latitude by Kochab in Pac. Northwest
From: Noell Wilson
Date: 2026 Feb 21, 09:08 -0800
From: Noell Wilson
Date: 2026 Feb 21, 09:08 -0800
Hi Joshua,
I guess the southern hemisphere is Pole Star challenged. Pretty much a big hole over the South Pole.
How about an equitorial star? I've long wondered about using Alnilam - the center star in Orion's Belt. Mag 1.8, SHA 275-42, Dec S 1-11. Easy to find. Almost zero latitude. It seems like something you might use from memory in a pinch. Wait until it reaches its zenith, or is directly north, and get your southern latitude = 91-11 minus Alt. (Please don't let me mess that up.)
Since Alnilam is not "fixed" like Polaris, you could use other bright stars in a similar way - just harder to memorize.
Regards, Noell
