NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Sean C
Date: 2017 Sep 25, 21:47 -0700
Attached is a graph showing the relationship between latitude and azimuth for two bodies using some random values I pulled out of the air:
Body 1: Hour Angle: 337.5°; Declination: 12°N
Body 2: Hour Angle: 22.5°; Declination: 12°N
As you can see, the H.A. separation is 45°. Indeed, at the pole the difference in azimuth matches at 45°. However, at the Equator, the difference in azimuth has risen to 238°05'55.8". Both azimuths have shifted away from the meridian by 96°32'57.9". Also shown on the graph is the difference in azimuth for every degree of latitude along with a polynomial which closely approximates this difference. (Note: The difference in azimuth uses the right-hand vertical axis.)
As for what (if anything) the polynomial can tell us and how it would vary with different values...I have no idea. I'm not very good with math and Excel generated it for me. Anyway, the graph does do a nice job of showing how the difference in azimuth changes with latitude.
Cheers!
Sean C.
