In the Circle of Equal Altitude method, the radius of the LOP equals the zenith distance, and 1° of arc equals how many nautical miles?

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Multiple Choice

In the Circle of Equal Altitude method, the radius of the LOP equals the zenith distance, and 1° of arc equals how many nautical miles?

In the Circle of Equal Altitude method, the line of position is a circle on the Earth’s surface whose radius equals the zenith distance of the observed body. The zenith distance is measured in degrees, and to turn that angular distance into a distance on a nautical chart you use the standard conversion: 1 minute of arc equals 1 nautical mile, so 1 degree of arc equals 60 nautical miles. Therefore, 1° of arc corresponds to 60 nautical miles. That’s why the correct conversion is 60 NM.

In the Circle of Equal Altitude method, the line of position is a circle on the Earth’s surface whose radius equals the zenith distance of the observed body. The zenith distance is measured in degrees, and to turn that angular distance into a distance on a nautical chart you use the standard conversion: 1 minute of arc equals 1 nautical mile, so 1 degree of arc equals 60 nautical miles. Therefore, 1° of arc corresponds to 60 nautical miles. That’s why the correct conversion is 60 NM.

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