Navigational triangle
The navigational triangle or PZX triangle is a spherical triangle used in astronavigation to determine the observer's position on the globe. It is composed of three reference points on the celestial sphere:
The position of Z or X is described via its declination—the angular distance north or south of the equator —and the hour angle—the angle between its meridian and the Greenwich meridian. If the observer knows the angles subtended by P, Z, and X, they can calculate their position on the globe. By measuring the angle of the celestial body in the sky, the observer can get the local hour angle of X, which is the angle subtended at P between Z and X and calculate the longitude by subtracting from the Greenwich hour angle of the celestial body. Finding the latitude requires measuring the vertical angle of X from the horizon using a sextant, the declination of X from a reference book, and a set of sight reduction Tables.
The sun, moon, and planets move relative to the celestial sphere, but the only the stars' hour angles change with the rotation of the earth, completing a full 360 degrees every solar day.Gallery
